How Hard Can It Be to Keep a Secret?
by Luniverse
Summary: Kara goes visit Lena at L Corp to take her out for lunch, but, as usual, she happens. Will Kara finally reveal she's Supergirl? Will they get through it fine? Who knows? Me, and you if you read it.
1. What's the worse that could happen?

Kara walks in and this time, instead of practically sprinting by Lena's assistant's desk, she stops and offers the woman a bagged donut and a cup of coffee with an apologetic smile on her face. The woman sighs and looks up.

"I thought you could you use some. You work all day, and Lena might be no Cat Grant but I'm sure being her assistant isn't easy." Kara says.

"It definitely isn't easy when certain people keep on coming in unscheduled even though I've given them about five cards with my desk's number, precisely so they can schedule their visits or at least let us know they're coming."

"Heh, well…" Kara gives her an awkward, apologetic grin. "I'm gonna," and she points at Lena's office door.

Before knocking she looks down at her outfit, jeans, button-up white shirt with a navy blue sweater over it and black shoes. It's fine. She clearly just came from work, so it's okay if she doesn't look her best. Technically, she should be _at_ work; this is her lunch break time and she was hoping she could steal Lena away for a little while, they hadn't spoken for a while, but she'd definitely be late to work anyways. Well, Kara and Lena hadn't spoken for quite a while; Supergirl and Lena had spoken not so long ago, but Supergirl also missed talking to Lena. Gosh, it's hard to keep them both up, specially around Lena. Just like it was with Cat, but Lena is nicer, sweeter. There's no 'warm heart under that cold barrier' with Lena because there never seemed to really be a cold barrier. Was she cautious and sometimes wary? Well, obviously; who wouldn't be, coming from where she comes? So Kara knocks and opens the door immediately after. Patience has never been her forte and after not seeing the woman for a few weeks, Kara had no wish to wait another second if she could just walk in. _I mean, Lena herself said I can come in_ _whenever_ _I please_. Lena is at her desk, as usual,-though Kara tends to see her from her back, through the window, when she flies by to check up on her- her fingers typing at a steady, rapid pace on the keyboard. There's a _click_ as the door closes behind Kara, and Lena's fingers stop just as her piercing green eyes fly up to meet Kara's. Once they do she has a bright smile on her face.

"Kara. It's so good to see you." Lena stands up, straightening her black pencil skirt. Kara sees the black suit hanging on the back of her chair and the red blouse resettling itself to Lena's movement, and notices Lena's wearing the same outfit as when they first met. Kara smiles back at her, fidgeting. Lena makes her way to Kara, black heels clicking on the cold floor, and hugs Kara tightly; it takes her a moment, but Kara hugs back just as tightly, letting an unknowingly held breath out. Lena looks Kara deep into her eyes once she lets go, as she always does, and Kara finds herself holding her breath again. "Is there anything you need?"

"Um, yea, no." Kara tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "Is there anything _you_ need?" Lena side smiles at her.

"Kara… you should know by now that when I need something, I tend to ask for it. I even go to _your_ job, unannounced, to do it." Kara giggles, looking at her feet.

"Well, I'm, um. Have you had lunch? 'Cause-" There are murmurs outside the door and Kara turns towards it.

"I haven't… Kara, what is it?"

"Something is happening." Kara looks through the door and walls trying to find the source of the problem, and there's something wrong with the lights. It'd be hard to notice in Lena's office because the sunlight is bright through the window. She looks up to see if the lamp is off, which it is. "Did you have the lights on?" Lena looks up with her but before Lena can form a full word in response, the door is kicked open and seven men burst in, guns and rifles in their hands.

"Shit. She's not alone." One of the men whisper. Kara turns around, nostrils flaring and she's about to take them all out in a blink when she feels Lena's hand wrap around her forearm. _Goddammit, can't she be scared to death and looking away so I can take them out without her noticing._

"Please, calm down. There's no need to be harsh." Lena's voice comes out steady as she speaks to the masked men and pulls Kara halfway behind her.

"Lena Luthor!" One of the men shouts. They're already surrounded. Kara can feel the man behind her holding a rifle. "You're coming with us."

"I will cooperate." _How is she this calm?_ Kara is almost losing it. She's thinking of how she could take them all out without Lena noticing she's Supergirl. If she managed to keep Cat out of this, she'll keep Lena out of it just as well.

"The girl is coming with us too." The obvious leader pointed at Kara with his gun.

"But she-"

"She wasn't supposed to be here, but she is. So she's coming with us too. Cuff them." A man goes behind Kara to handcuff her. Lena looks at Kara, a snarking comment playing at her lips, but she keeps quiet and instead just looks at Kara with confidence in her eyes.

"No one is going anywhere." It comes out before Kara even acknowledges it as a thought. She reaches out behind her and crushes two fingers of the man trying to handcuff her. He goes down to his knees, holding his hand and crying out in pain, and immediately after there's a blow on the back of her head. From the feeling of it, Kara assumes it's the wide end of the rifle, she feels it dent and is about to turn around and punch the bastard when her eyes catch Lena looking at her and this time she does look scared. She looks terrified. Eyes wide, hand on her parted lips as a gasp escapes her. And Kara drops to the floor, eyes closed, for a moment wishing she'd let go of secrecy and do what she needs to save Lena, but there _has_ to be another way. Revealing herself would only put Lena in more danger, and she's a Luthor! That's more than enough danger for just one kind hearted person.

"KARA!" Lena's eyes sting when she sees the dent on the man's weapon. "What is wrong with you? Why did you hit her? Why did you hit her like that?! She might have a serious injury. She needs a doctor _right now._ " The man with the rifle strides towards Lena as he speaks.

"You know who needs a doctor? He needs a doctor!" The men points at the one kneeling on the floor with the two broken fingers. The way he waves the rifle around makes Lena more than uneasy and she steps back, but her footing is wrong and she falls flat on her ass. The moment the abrupt movement of falling happens, all weapons are pointed at Lena.

"Everyone, calm down. Lena Luthor can't be hurt." The leader speaks up, encouraging everyone to lower their weapons. Lena looks at Kara who has her eyes open again, but they look glassed over, she might not be unconscious, but she's not fully back either; hopefully no brain damage was caused, which would be impressive. So, it's staring at the blue-eyed girl on the floor, that Lena repeats herself.

"I will cooperate." Another man kneels before her and cuffs her hands in front of her. Lena is pulled up and pushed forward as Kara is propped up on the bigger man's shoulder.

"Fuck. She's heavier than she looks." Kara turns her head and sees Lena sneering at the man carrying her and wonders what kind of kidnappers are these that they don't bag their victim's head. Honestly it's like they know she's Supergirl and that she's not willing to reveal herself. _Oh no. Cadmus. No. No, Lillian wouldn't go this far. She wouldn't put her own daughter in danger to get to me… Right?_ With that thought, Kara's eyes start stinging. They took Alex's father, they won't take Lena too. But Kara decides to wait a bit. Cadmus tends to be more efficient. This doesn't seem like them. They run downstairs and are dragged into a dark van. They strap Lena to a seat on the back and drop Kara on the floor at her feet.

"We need to go to the hospital." Lena says in a tone that gives away she might no longer be willing to cooperate.


	2. Well, so much for having powers, huh

"I'm not kidding! We need a doctor _now_! The way your friend here hit her, she might have some serious brain injury or a concussion." They all stare at Lena and look away in annoyance. "You need to at least check for injuries. I just need to know if she's going to be alright. If she'll wake up." Lena feels her throat clogging up. _No. You can't show vulnerability. They're here to get money; if you show weakness they'll think they can get more than that out of you._ "You need to see if she's okay. You can't get much money if you have severely injured one of the hostages."

"The ransom will be for you. The lil girl doesn't matter."

"Like hell she doesn't. You can bet that if they hear she got the treatment she did and you did nothing about it you'll get bullets instead of cash." Lena is practically hissing at them.

"Goddammit. Just give her the girl!" The leader shouts back at them. The bigger guy picks Kara up and sits her on the seat where Lena is. Kara lets herself drop pretending to still seem unconscious because she knows if she keeps on seeing these thugs staring at them like they're meat, she'll not be able to keep still. Kara's head hits something soft, to her surprise. She was expecting the seat to be rougher from the feeling through her jeans. Then a pair of arms awkwardly wrap around her and there's a set of slender finger crawling up her neck, under her hair. Lena taps gently at her skin, goes to the spot where Kara got hit and Kara can feel her hesitation, but once she feels there's no crack and apparently no harm was done, Lena sighs in relief. Lena bends down, her hair dropping and tickling Kara's face. Her voice is near Kara's ear, soft.

"We're gonna be fine, Kara. I promise. We'll get out of this." Lena's voice is soft and calming, but Kara can feel the slight shake in the back of it. The fear. And Kara curses. She curses these kidnappers for not being proper kidnappers, but mostly she curses them for doing this at all. Why can't they kidnap someone evil? Go kidnap Lillian Luthor for all I care, but not Lena. She doesn't deserve it.

Kara feels the short nails dragging down her scalp, and then up and then down again. And, gosh, this is a good feeling. Kara presses her eyes shut and keeps her mouth shut tight. And this feeling is relaxing. It's nice. And Lena is humming a melody that sounds suspiciously like the Harry Potter theme. And the van is rocking her gently. And Lena's fingers keep on dragging on her scalp, tangling themselves more and more in Kara's hair. And before she notices it, Kara is no longer in the van. Her body is light and floating. There was no anger in her heart and that smell; what's that smell? _I need to find it_.

"Shhhhh. You're alright." Kara hears the voice in the back of her head but everything is dark. How can she find it?

Kara feels soft skin stroking her cheek. Her hair is tucked behind her ear and the soft skin goes back to caressing her cheek. A finger slides up her face and when it touches her glasses; the past couple of hours flash through Kara's mind and she shoots up, startling Lena.

"Shoot, I fell asleep." Kara says under her breath, fixing her glasses and Lena chuckles.

"Fell asleep? Kara, you were knocked out cold. I'm impressed you don't have a dent on _your_ head."

"...Right. I got hit on the head. I feel fine though." She looks at Lena. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you? If they did anything to you-"

"I'm fine." Lena says placing a hand on Kara's hand. "They can't hurt me. One scratch on this pretty skin and they don't get their money." Kara looks Lena up and down, looking for injuries or broken bones and sees there's indeed no injury, just slightly scraped knees.

"They uncuffed you." Kara observes, noticing the hand on hers is no longer attached to the other.

"Yea, they didn't want to risk me hurting my wrists with the cuffs."

"They're smarter than they seem then." Kara mentally curses. _Maybe they_ _are_ _Cadmus_. "What did you say they want from you?"

"Good ol' ransom. They're waiting for either my mum or the company to notice I went missing and do something about it."

"Oh, thank- god." Kara sighs in relief. Lena raises an eyebrow at her.

"Thank god?"

"Well, they could be worse, you know? There are weird, crazy people in this city."

"True."

The door bursts open and three guys run in, guns in hand pointed at them.

"Your food." A fourth guy that came in later says throwing a Subway bag at Lena, clearly with the intention for it to fall on the floor. Lena catches it, barely so, but she catches it. Kara's blood boils and she takes a step forward.

"You'll regret this if you don't let us go _right_ _ **now**_." Kara feels almost as if she had been affected by red kryptonite. The blood in her veins is boiling more than usual and her vision is about to go red.

"Kara." Kara hears Lena's quiet plead behind her.

"You better keep your mouth shut, bitch." A man says stepping closer to her. Kara looks at his weapon and sees the dent at the end of his rifle and smirks. This is spite. Kara steps closer, nostrils flared once again. The man might be masked, but his eyes give all that she needs to know. _He'll take the bait._

"Why don't you make me?" Kara hisses back.

"Kara!" Lena calls her more in a scolding way than a worried way. But as soon as the word is out of Lena's mouth, Kara feels the man's knuckles hitting the side of her jaw and breaking against it. Kara is initially smirking to herself but then she internally sighs at herself. _Why do you keep on doing this? Lena's going to notice._ She drops to the floor biting her lip hard until it bleeds. _Someone should give me an Oscar for all of this._

"FUCK!" The man holds his broken hand, trying to curse his pain away. The leader sighs.

"Take him to the hospital and-"

"If _any_ of you even _think_ about touching her again, I will _end_ you. I will make you wish the cops caught you." Lena assumes business-like threatening attitude, looking all almighty and like she _could_ crush them with her heels. And Kara is watching that from where she's lying on the floor, propped on an elbow. _Wow._ Is basically all that comes across her mind. The man gulps and tries not to seem nervous.

"No one else is getting hurt, right boys?" The men murmur in agreement. The man leaves two cups with soda next to the door. "We'll be contacting to ask for the ransom soon enough." And they all leave.

As soon as they're out the door Lena is kneeling in front of Kara, cradling her face with her hands.

"Kara…" Lena wipes the blood off Kara's lips with her thumb. "What in hell were you thinking?" Lena's eyes fly between Kara's lips and eyes a few times before settling on her eyes.

"I…" Kara sighs and smiles sheepishly at Lena. "I wasn't… thinking." Lena's eyes twinkle and Kara thinks she might laugh, but she just smiles.

"Well, lets try that next time, alright? Although you clearly have a _very_ hard skull, I don't want you to keep on provoking men to hit it."

"Alright." Kara sits up. "But he was a bad puncher."

"Ah, Kara! No provoking the kidnappers, okay?" Kara sighs.

"As you wish." She says with a little bow of her head but can't help but smile at Lena's worry.


	3. Thank Rao for Alex

Lena gently dabs Kara's bleeding lip with a napkin she got from the Subway bag. Kara looks down at the hem of Lena's skirt, the black contrasting with her skin; she smiles and looks back up at Lena's eyes, fixated on Kara's lip.

"That was badass." Lena raises an eyebrow at her, meeting her eyes. "The 'I will end you' bit."

"Huh," Lena laughs and gets up to grab the sandwich bag she left on the floor and the soda cups. "I couldn't leave you to be beaten by them, Kara. For all I know, you might write an article as soon as we get out of here." Kara laughs and scoots back so she's leaning against the wall. Lena offers her a cup before sitting next to Kara.

"How very Slytherin of you." Kara says, remembering Lena was humming the Harry Potter theme and hoping she's right. Lena scoffs, turning to Kara.

"Says the Gryffindor." Kara's jaw drops.

"I _knew_ it! You _are_ a Harry Potter fan!"

"Well, yea… To my very core." Lena says a bit more quietly and looks down at the sandwich bag on her lap.

"No way. Miss Lena Luthor is a Harry Potter fan." Kara sees how Lena turned a bit shy. "What is it?"

"I… I have a Slytherin uniform." Kara's jaw drops again.

"No. Way. I have you at my mercy now. I can expose the powerful Lena Luthor for what she really is-a big ol' nerd."

"Uh, you wouldn't dare." They both have playful smirks on their lips.

"I'm sorry, did you just challenge _me_ , a Gryffindor?" Kara says with an air of victory. But there's a twinkle in Lena's eyes that Kara mistakes for amusement.

"I guess I am at your mercy then." Lena bites her lower lip, looking at Kara's lips just before she goes back to staring at her eyes. "And I personally believe that if I were at your mercy, we could have _a lot_ of _fun_." Kara gulps.

"Um, uh… yea. I- what did they bring for us to eat? Is- is it enough for both of us?" _Nice one Kara. Talk about food. Food's great!_ Lena smirks victoriously, though slightly disappointed.

"Let us see." Lena says opening the bag. There's one beef and cheese sandwich split in half. "For you." Lena hands Kara a half of the sandwich wrapped in napkins.

"Just one half is enough for you?"

"Usually. Why?"

"Just asking."

"Do you want my half?"

"No! I actually asked 'cause if it wasn't enough for you, I'd offer you mine."

"Aw, Kara… You starving isn't gonna help me get through this."

They eat and talk for a while and Kara sees the light shifting outside through the tiny window on the top of the wall. Soon the sun will be setting and there hasn't been a beep about paying a ransom or a rescue. Alex has to have noticed she's missing. She'll tell J'onn and the DEO would be looking for her. They have to be. That's when Kara feels a weight on her shoulder and when she turns, she sees Lena fell asleep on her. Kara smiles as she watches the soft, deep breathing rising the woman's chest and then, slowly, coming back down; the woman's sharp features are now softer, calmer. _Cutie_. And that's when it hits her. _This is my chance._ Kara looks at the door. _I just need to move without waking her up._ Kara looks around and there's nothing she can use as a pillow. _Nothing_. _Maybe if I just lay her on the floor really slow she won't wake up_. Kara takes a deep breath and is going to start moving when Lena stirs. _By Rao!_ Lena shifts turning on her side a bit; she bends her knee and brings it up, resting her leg on Kara's thigh. Her arm drops on Kara's hips as if she was going to hug her but is too asleep to do so. Kara is trying to remember to breathe when Lena's head slides down a bit, closer to the crook of her neck, her hot breath soft against Kara's skin. Kara gulps. _Breathe. Remember to breathe_. She repeats to herself. _Well, now it just got harder to move without waking her up._ Also harder to think, in general. Kara closes her eyes and takes deep breaths until her heart rate doesn't make it feel like her heart is right at her throat. She plants the hand on Lena's side on the floor to keep balance. Kara closes her eyes and tries to fall asleep, but there's Lena's steady hot breath against her neck and she just can't bring herself to sleep for now. She looks down at the slightly scraped knee resting on her thigh. She runs her fingertips softly against Lena's white skin. Kara was always amazed about how _white_ her skin is. _We could totally be Dracula and Mina for Halloween. Or maybe Lucy. Whichever she prefers, really. That is if Lena is into Halloween, and likes dressing up, and wants to dress up with me and not someone else, and doesn't have other ideas, and doesn't have_ _any_ _other plans. Why would she even want to spend Halloween with_ _me_ _? I mean- Kara, stop_. Kara takes a deep breath and decides to concentrate on Lena's soft skin under her fingertips, rather than future holidays. Kara lets her fingers slide up until they reach the hem of Lena's skirt and then she sighs. _How bad would it be for her to know?_ Kara starts a soft caress, up and down the arm resting on her hips and it feels nice and Lena smells nice and Kara's head starts dropping slowly until it's resting on Lena's. A second later or maybe an hour later, Kara is not sure, the door is kicked open startling Lena and Kara awake. Kara's arm that was supporting her weight goes up to wrap around Lena's waist and bring her closer; while Lena brings her leg up and tightens her hold on Kara's hips. Alex barged in with her team, all in their FBI's uniform. Alex stops after seeing the room had no one else and focuses on the hostages, finally noticing that her sister and Lena Luthor are wrapped in each other. Alex can't help but to smirk at her sister and raise and eyebrow suggestively.

"Alex! Thank… god." Kara says standing up and brings Lena up with her, who's still in a bit of a haze from waking up so abruptly and very confused because she just was basically picked up by Kara with only one arm. That's when Kara notices Alex's expression. "What?" Kara promptly lets go of Lena and ruffles down her jeans.

"Did you get them?" Lena asks blinking a few times and running her fingers through her hair, fixing it's previously disheveled form.

"Every single one." Alex answers putting on a professional face

"Good. After everything they did, or _tried_ to do, they will pay for it."

"What do you mean?"

"One of them punched Kara on the face. Broke his hand in the process." Kara and Alex exchange a look.

"Bet he's a bad puncher." Alex says. Lena rolls her eyes. _She still has an incredibly hard skull. Which is good; it'd be awful if something happened to such a smart, wonderful person._

With that they leave to file the chargers against the kidnappers and so on. And with a tight hold on Kara's hand, Lena says goodbye and walks on into the night, heels clicking on the asphalt as she distanced herself from Kara and entered the black car waiting for her. But that isn't the last time Kara sees Lena for the day because a few minutes after she's flying by her apartment to make sure she got home safe and then goes back to the DEO, where they're investigating the group that kidnapped them.


	4. It's better with you around

Kara strides in and doesn't even look at Lena's assistant this time. She just heard from Alex that Lena is back on L Corp working, less than twelve hours after she was kidnapped. They had been investigating their kidnappers all night to make sure they had no ulterior motives aside from getting money and they hadn't. They just hoped kidnapping one of the most powerful women in the city, and the world, would give them a lot of money. Lena might not have been hurt but she was kidnapped right in her office, inside a heavily secured building, that must have hit a nerve, right? She wouldn't just feel safe back in her office, right? Not so soon… Lena's assistant looks up, ready to complain or somehow make Kara aware of her disagreement with Kara's habit of coming unannounced, but when she looks up she doesn't see the usual cute apologetic puppy Kara, she sees Kara _storming_ in. Kara's on a mission and she wouldn't be the one to get in Kara's path. They do say the nicest people are the ones you should never provoke. Kara barges in and closes the door behind her not so gently.

"Lena! What are you doing?" Kara says. Lena has a hand on her chest, eyes wide in surprise. There are piles of paper nicely divided in front of her, a pen tucked between her fingers. And all the frustration and worry driven anger melts away from Kara, making her feel rather guilty for barging in like that and startling Lena. "I- I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"It's okay. I was just really… I got here early and haven't stopped working for who knows how long; that disconnects me from the outside a bit. Not your fault."

"I still shouldn't have barged in like that. After yesterday it must have startled you more than just a little bit."

"Kara, it's okay, really. I should've expected you to barge in. I knew word would get out that I'm working so soon after being kidnapped." Lena smiles at her, finally relaxing. Kara looks at her questioningly and is about to speak, but Lena continues. "I saw Supergirl flying by earlier, she was checking the building." _Shoot, she saw me._

"Why are you back so soon, Lena?" Kara steps closer to Lena's desk, her brow strained in worry.

"I had a lot of work to catch up on after yesterday. This company won't run itself and it's my job to make sure it runs properly."

"But aren't you-"

"Afraid? Feeling unsafe?" Kara nods, smiling softly. Lena looks away for a second. She shrugs, a smile shying on her lips. "Not really, no. I know I'm safe. I have Supergirl." Kara gulps.

"Supergirl?"

"Yea. She went to my apartment last night. Then came here this morning. Sure, she barely hovered around for less than a minute. I wish she would stop to talk more often; she looks like she needs it… talking." _I'm so stupid. By Rao, I need to be more careful! What if someone else noticed it?_ "Aren't _you_ afraid? I know you're a Gryffindor, but that doesn't mean you're free of fear. You did seem very sure of yourself there." Lena says smirking.

"Well, it's not like it's the first time it happens." _Crap._

"What? You've been kidnapped before?"

"What? No. I mean, yes. You know. Friends with Supergirl and all. People kidnap me… to get to her…"

"Have you been hurt or-"

"No, no. They just keep me somewhere until she comes. I tend to cooperate a lot more than that."

"What made you feisty this time?"

"Um I-" _You,_ "I'm just tired of being kidnaped. Gotta talk to Supergirl about that." Lena stands up and makes her way to Kara as she speaks again.

"Never would've pegged you for the damsel in distress." She smirks and Kara scoffs.

"I am not!"

"It seems that Supergirl wants to keep us both safe."

"Ye- yes."

"Hmm, I think we should make her job easier."

"By doing what?" Kara asks after swallowing. Lena shrugs.

"Spending more time together." Lena suggests innocently. "Then she wouldn't have to try to be at two places at the same time."

"That… sounds… um, reasonable. A- a good idea."

"I'm gonna take you out for lunch, alright?"

"Y-yes."

"And then after that we can have some fun. Since we're _both_ supposed to be taking the day off."

"Some fun. Yes. Definitely. Great. Yes." Lena smiles widely.

"Great. We can go to a club or a bar. Maybe have a picnic. Let me just put my things away and we go out."

"Um. Alright. I'll just call Alex. To let her know you're alright." _I think I'm going to die._

Kara calls Alex and lets her know that she's with Lena and she's fine. And it seems like Lena plans on them spending the day together so she probably wouldn't be home till much later. Alex teases her, but Kara has no idea why she's doing it.

"Ready to go?" Lena says just after Kara hangs up.

"Yea, lets go. Where do you want to have lunch?"

"How's sushi for you?"

"Sounds great."

"Great." And off they go.

The place is _much_ fancier than expected and Lena seems to be a regular because when they get there, the host greets her by her name with a smile and says she's glad she's not having lunch by herself this time. Kara is a bit embarrassed to eat enough for her to feel sated, but somehow Lena is able to notice and keeps on ordering combos until Kara is properly fed.

"I am impressed." Lena says chuckling, after they ask for the bill, "I never thought you could fit that much food in there." Kara blushes.

"Yea, well, I get very hungry."

"Clearly."

"Here it is miss Luthor." The waiter hands her the bill. Lena barely checks it before handing it back with her credit card, thanking the waiter, asking him to add the tip.

"No, wait." Kara calls out, pulling her wallet out of her bag.

"Don't be silly, Kara." Lena stretches her hand out and holds Kara's free hand. "It's on me."

"But I ate like, three times what you ate. It's unfair."

"It's perfectly fine." Lena looks at the waiter indicating she'll pay for everything. "You took enough hits to the head yesterday, and you're always so kind. You deserve a treat, Kara." Kara opens her mouth to speak but not a word comes out. The waiter hands her card and a receipt back. "What do you wanna do now?" Lena asks as she puts her card back in her wallet, and then the latter in her bag.

"Um… We could…" Kara thinks for a beat. _What would she like?_ "Go to a museum or watch a movie?"

"I haven't been to the modern art museum in a while, is that okay with you? We can go to another museum if you rather."

"No, modern art sounds great." They smile at each other and Lena leads their way out of the restaurant.

The walk to the museum is pleasant, the day is sunny and there are no signs of rain for the day, which is pretty great. The museum is huge and has all kinds of works and Lena stops by practically every single one and analyzes it with a little flame in her eyes and a bright smile on her lips.

"You really like this, huh?" Kara has a wide smile on her face, seeing Lena so light, so free, is doing wonders to her mood.

"I do. I just really like museums and looking all this art that we create. Have you been to the history museum? It's wonderful."

"You're wonderful." Kara's eyes go wide and she immediately tries to find something to do with her hands as Lena smirks. "What about that piece?" Kara points at a painting of a red cube. "It's _really_ interesting."

After an awkward "recovery", they finish looking over the art pieces of the museum and Lena checks her watch.

"Damn, it's seven pm already. Let's go have dinner and then I'll take you to a club close to the park that I really like."

"Alright."

"How do we feel about pizza?"

"We feel absolutely great about pizza."

"Great! Lets go." Lena gives her a wide smile and pulls Kara by the hand, leaving the latter a bit flustered.

This place isn't fancy at all. It's practically a hole on the wall, but the decoration is cozy and warm. The waiters and host speak good English but you can hear them and the cooks shouting at each other in Italian, sometimes an English word is thrown in the middle.

"I like this place. It's cozy." Kara says a little after they order a pizza.

"Yea, it is. I like it here because no one really knows who I am and they still treat me nicely."

"Must be tiring sometimes. Being treated like…"

"Like I'm a ticking bomb? Just for being a Luthor?" Kara nods with a sad smile. "Yes, it is tiring. Sometimes, infuriating. Depending on the person, heartbreaking." Kara reaches out for Lena's hand out of instinct and then takes her hand back, blushing.

"Sorry."

"No, it's fine."

"You're too good Lena." Kara fights through her embarrassment to look Lena in the eye. "Too smart to fall in their path. You're stronger than they are. For all I care, you're the real Luthor." Something runs in Lena's eyes; first it's something bright, fiery, almost overwhelming, and then there's… a question. One that Lena sets aside with a sweet smile and it seems like she's reaching out for Kara when the waiter sets the pizza between them. Lena clears her throat and straightens up before wishing Kara a "buon appetito".

When they finish it's almost ten pm and this time they share the bill after _much_ insistence from Kara's part. Lena knew she wouldn't give up this time and knew better than to try and up Kara on this one.

"Alright, let's go drinking. I've been on the mood since last night." Kara smiles following Lena out of the pizzeria. _If alcohol had any effect on me I'd probably be on the mood for it too._

They walk into a nice club, nothing too fancy but not like the alien bar Kara usually goes to. There's a full dance floor, the music blasting, the bar is better lighten than the dance floor and mostly everyone is drunk, as expected on any club, even if it's Thursday night.

"Lets see who gets drunk first." Lena winks at Kara teasingly and drags her to the bar.

"That would be you."

"I'm sorry, are you serious or is this just your Gryffindor ego taking over?" Kara scoffs making a falsely offended face.

"I am most definitely being serious. No one I know can out drink me. Maybe Mo- Mike."

"Of the interns?" Lena smirks making Kara chuckle.

"Yes. Mike of the interns."

"Huh, well… Maybe you can add me to that list after tonight."

"I rather not try to see it." Kara starts getting worried now that Lena seems to be taking it as a challenge.

"He didn't look the type. With that bowtie and all."

"He's… Look, no need to try to outdrink each other. Just drinking for fun."

"Well, that's all drinking is for, Kara. Fun." Lena slides up on a stool and asks for a cosmo and after asking Kara what she wants, asks for another.

Two drinks and seven shots in, Kara signals the bartender to not give Lena any more drinks.

"How? How can you be so… not drunk?" Lena is leaning in, clearly inebriated yet still looking very poise. Kara giggles.

"I'm… um, tipsy." _Lot's of giggling and leaning in, that's how you pretend to be drunk_. The advice comes to her as it always does when she goes out with people that don't know of her… tolerance to alcohol. Lena slides her hand up Kara's arm until it reaches the inside of her elbow, she leans in and Kara tenses up unsure of what to do.

"Lets dance." Lena whispers against her ear sending chills down Kara's spine. "I want a Bailey's bottle and two cups for when we get back, please." Lena tells the bartender with a smile and winks. "Gimme a second, darling. I gotta text James, my driver. Need some stuff." Lena types rapidly and then drags Kara to the dance floor.

A remix of _Take me to church_ is playing with a rapid beat. Lena's hands are up in the air, she keeps her eyes closed sometimes, clearly enjoying getting lost in the music, in the dancing. She reaches out for Kara and pulls her closer, placing one of Kara's hands on her own hips, and then keeps on dancing. Kara doesn't take her hand off Lena's hip and starts moving with her. The beats go by and Kara starts feeling dazed, almost as if she _was_ drunk. Lena turns around, pressing her back against Kara and slides down and then back up, in sync with the beat, and Kara has forgotten all over again how it is to breathe or think coherent thoughts. Lena notices, besides her being drunk, that Kara tensed up a bit and decides to not try that again… for five minutes. Teasing Kara had turned into one of Lena's favourite things; even though she wanted more, she was fine with this, since she was never sure whether Kara actually wanted to take a step further or not. The night goes by with the loud beats and flashing lights, 'till it is at an end and it's about time to close the club, and so the DJ announces it.

"Here's a bit of a slower beat for you drunken peeps to calm down." And he starts playing a chill remix of _Do I wanna know_.

"Ooh, slow dancing." Lena winks at Kara and is taking a step closer when she stops on her track. "No, no. Lemme do this right." Lena takes Kara's hand and bows down a little before bringing said hand to her lips and kissing it gently. "M'lady, would you give me the honour of having this dance with a beauty such as yourself?" Kara's face burns up as her eyes go wide and she starts blahbing.

"Um… ppfff, uh. Ha. Yea. Sure. Of course." Kara feels her knees turning into jelly and is concentrating more on keeping her legs functional than properly pronouncing words. _Don't step on her toes. Do not step on her toes, Kara._ And Lena smirks with victory in her eyes. She brings Kara's hand up to her neck and slides both her arms around Kara's waist, bringing her closer.

"Nothing will _ever_ make me happier." Lena whispers against her ear. They dance like this, cheek to cheek, for just a little while because the warning of sobriety starts coming over Lena, and she's having none of that tonight. "The buzz is coming down. Lets go get my Bailey's." And off she goes to the bar. Kara rushes after her. If Kara can't stop her, she'll at least make sure Lena is safe. Lena pays for the drinks and the bottle, and the bartender tells her the cups are a souvenir since she's always a great client. Once they're outside, Kara notices a black car with a man standing by it holding a picnic basket.

"James!" Lena goes to him smiling. "Always on time. I'm sorry to keep you up this late, buddy." James hands her the picnic basket smiling, where she puts the bottle and cups she's holding.

"That's what I get payed for, miss Luthor. And I took a nap." James keeps on smiling at her, seeing Lena with a smile on her face was rare.

"Good. Well, go home. Be with your wife. Get some real rest."

"Don't you want me to take you home, miss Luthor?"

"Nah. It's all good."

"I'll take her." Kara prompts.

"She'll take me." Lena winks at James who shakes his head with a smile on his face, stifling a laugh.

"Alright. I'm a call away if you need me, miss Luthor."

"Of course you are, darling."

"Take care of her." James says to Kara in a much more serious tone and goes to the driver's side of the car after getting a nod of affirmation from Kara.

"Let's go, sweetheart!" Lena beams and takes Kara's hand to drag her to the park that is only a few blocks away. Once they reach a nice spot on the park Lena sets the basket down and asks Kara to help her set the blanket down once she takes it out of the basket. They sit down on it and Lena pulls the basket closer; she hands the two cups to Kara, puts the bottle next to them and pulls out a nice silvery ice bucket.

"Are you going to take out a cat or a movie theater out of there too?" Kara teases as she watches Lena fill the cups with ice and Bailey's.

"Oh! I should've thought of that! Dammit. Next time, though, I'll bring the cat _and_ the movie theater." They laugh. "I thought that for tonight we could watch… the stars." And she takes a sip.

"Sounds wonderful."

They stay there for a while, sipping their drinks and pointing out stars and constellations. Kara makes sure not to mention anything too crazy or alienish.

"I'm sorry for taking over your day." Lena says and Kara hears in her voice that she's been trying to say it for a while, which takes her by surprise. "I- You were right. Yesterday did make me feel anxious to be at work and I did feel more insecure. I didn't want to be alone and-"

"Lena, it's okay." Kara holds her hand to reaffirm her understanding.

"I- It's silly. But for some reason I feel safer when you're around. And the drinking is comforting." Lena bites her lip and looks down at their hands before meeting Kara's eyes again.

"Well, I'm not much of a saver. I'm definitely no Supergirl. But I'm flattered you feel safe with me. And that you trust me enough to go drinking." Kara moves her hand away to take her cup. Lena chuckles a bit.

"I think I'd like to see you two interacting. You seem pretty close, you know? How you can find her when no one else can." Lena laughs to herself. "Imagine if you were Supergirl! That would explain a lot." Kara almost chokes on her drink and laughs nervously.

"Ha. Imagine! That'd be so funny!" _Rao save me._

Half way through the bottle, Lena starts getting sleepy and once again her head is on Kara's shoulder. Kara had an arm around Lena's shoulders and Lena was comfortably tucked under Kara's, arms wrapped around her waist, since Lena started shivering with cold.

"I think we should go home." Lena says in a sleepy voice.

"I'll take you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Just give me a second." Kara helps Lena up and off the blanket. She puts everything back in the basket and wraps the blanket around Lena's shoulders. With the basket hanging from the inside of her elbow, Kara picks Lena up, bridal style, making the latter yelp in surprise.

"Holy fuck! You're really strong." Lena wraps her arms around Kara's neck. Kara chuckles-Lena cursing is a new thing, and it's definitely going to her favourite things list.

"Shh, take a nap 'till we get to your apartment." Kara moves her head so Lena can lay her head on Kara's shoulder, her nose bumping against the crook of her neck.

"Okay…" Lena says and it doesn't take long for her breathing to turn heavy. And Kara takes off, making sure she's at a good altitude for nobody to notice her and not fast enough to wake Lena up.

The hot breath is no longer making her nervous; if anything, it makes her feel calm, content, because now she knows that that hot breath against her skin means trust, it means _I'm comfortable enough with you to let my guard down, to be vulnerable_. And that is a bit scary and exciting, like a rollercoaster, but it's also sweet and comforting like Lena's hug. So Kara can't help it but to smile all the way from the park to Lena's balcony. She walks in and gently places Lena on her bed. Kara goes to the kitchen, sets the basket on the counter, grabs a cup of water and goes back to Lena's room to find the latter shoeless and shirtless, taking her jeans off.

"Lena!" Kara feels her cheeks warming up at the sight of Lena in nice black lace underwear and her jeans down to her knees.

"I just wanna get comfortable. These jeans are really tight."

"Yea, I noticed."

"Hehe…"

"Where are you pj's?"

"There." Lena points at a bureau, "second drawer." Kara opens it and finds a bunch of old, large t-shirts. She takes the first one.

"What about pants?" Lena doesn't answer, so Kara goes to Lena, who has finished taking her jeans off. "Lena. Look at me." Kara says firmly but softly. Lena's eyes shoot up from Kara's lips and focus on her eyes. "Here's your shirt. I need you to drink this cup of water after you finish changing, okay?"

"Yes." Lena answers and Kara leaves the room. Kara is folding the blanket they used at the park when she feels something rubbing against her ankles. Kara swallows, unsure of what she'll find and looks down. Looking at her with bright yellow eyes is a black cat, purring lowly.

"Heey little guy." Kara sets the blanket down on the counter and reaches down to pet the cat. It smells her hand before rubbing it's head against it. Kara pets it a little before she finishes emptying the basket. She washes the cups, leaves everything on the counter, finds the cat's bowl and sees it's not empty but decides to change the water just in case. "I'm gonna go check on your mommy, alright?" Kara tells it and the cat goes off to do some cat stuff. Kara finds Lena finishing her cup of water, sitting on the edge of the bed, the old Led Zeppelin shirt barely a palm under her hips. Once she notices Kara, Lena stands up.

"Thank you." Lena says. Kara gulps and makes sure to keep eye contact with Lena.

"It's alright." Kara grabs the cup from Lena's hand and sets it on the end table, making a mental note to fill it up before leaving. "Lets get you tucked in." Kara helps Lena under her duvet. "Sleep tight." Kara says before kissing her forehead. But when she's about to move away Lena holds her by the shoulder.

"Please, don't go." Lena's voice is almost a whisper. Kara looks at her, and despite it being dark, Kara can see the dark circle around the clear, greyish green of Lena's eyes. She feels herself leaning in. Kara closes her eyes and presses her lips together, taking a deep breath.

"Okay." Kara whispers back and uses her leaning in movement to roll over Lena and fall on the bed next to her. She kicks her shoes off and turns to find Lena turned to her, eyes bright with that flame again that Kara can't quite figure out. She scoots closer and tucks Lena's hair behind her ear; while Lena reaches out and holds Kara's other arm. She leaves her hand on Lena's face and slowly drags her thumb up and down, against Lena's cheekbone, until the latter closes her eyes and her breathing gets deeper. Kara sighs and takes her glasses off. She looks back at Lena and watches her face, calm, seemingly free of the responsibilities that weigh on her shoulders and the pressure of being the good Luthor. Kara doesn't know if it was when she was counting Lena's eyelashes or going over her face looking for birthmarks, but what she knows is that Lena's face is the last thing she sees before falling asleep and that sure is the reason why she slept so well.

When Kara wakes up it's about 8 am, and there's that uncomfortable sensation of sleeping with your jeans and bra on, but it only lasts for a about a second before she notices she's half covered with the duvet. Her own leg is stretched over Lena's hips and she's nicely tucked under her arm, head on her chest. Kara stays in place while pondering on what to do before she gently moves away and off the bed. With the lack of Kara's warmth, Lena stirs, bringing the duvet up to her shoulders, turning to the side and bringing her knees up against her chest. Kara smiles at the sight before fixing her hair and leaving the room with Lena's empty cup. She fills up the cat's bowl after scanning the room to look for the food package. She fills the cup of water and places it on a wooden tray. Sometime into Kara making pancakes, the cat comes in meowing.

"Hii little one." Bends over to pet it on the head. "I filled up your bowl." The cat purrs, bumping its head against Kara's palm and goes eat. Kara puts the pancakes on a plate, the plate on the tray. She makes some coffee, serves two cups of it, place it on the tray. Kara does one last scan and finds a container with sugar cubes, she grabs it and some utensils, and goes to Lena's bedroom. She finds Lena in the process of sitting up, rubbing sleep off her eyes. Her face lights up though her eyes are still hazy with sleep.

"G'morning." Lena says with a smile.

"Good morning." Kara smiles back and goes around the bed to sit next to Lena.

"Breakfast in bed?" Lena says with a little smirk. "And we didn't ev-" _Stop. You need to behave yourself, Lena._ Lena clears her throat after scolding herself as Kara blushes a little. "Thank you. You're too sweet for your own good. I hope this is for both of us cause there's _no_ way I'll eat all of this." Kara chuckles

"It is for both of us."

"Oh, shit." Lena curses under her breath. "I need to feed Eddie."

"The cat?"

"Yes."

"I already did." Lena stops trying to move the tray. She gives Kara a soft smile.

"Thanks. Was he nice to you?"

"Yes, he's very cute." Kara grabs her cup and stir some sugar cubes in it while Lena does the same. "Don't you have a hangover?"

"No. Just a little headache that will soon be gone after this coffee and pancakes." The cat strolls in and jumps on the bed. "Hello my pretty boy." Lena raises the tray placing it in front of her and Kara and grabs Eddie. "My cute Eddie." She pets him while he curls and settles on Lena's legs. Kara smiles while watching. "Let's eat." Lena says and they both start sharing the pancakes.

"Why Eddie?"

"Because of Edgar Allan Poe. He has a lot of stories about black cats."

"So… last night. You remember everything?"

"Yea, right until you told me to get a nap while you brought me home, which I probably would've done even if you hadn't told me. I was really tired." Kara sighs in relief. "By the way, you're really strong!"

"I, uh. I workout…" _Please believe me._

"I had no idea. Nice to know." _No. Something happened. I'm pretty sure she- no, Kara would tell me. A bit of digging around never hurt anybody. Well, let's not get into that. Maybe there_ _is_ _a reason I never see them at the same time._

After they finish eating Kara watches Lena carry the tray to the kitchen, her shirt covering only half of her ass, showing some of the black lace underwear. _Oh, good Rao. Either she doesn't care or she forgot she's not wearing pants._

Lena feels Kara's eyes on her as she walks to the kitchen. _C'mon, it's nothing. Just a little teasing won't harm anyone, right?_ Lena starts washing the dishes and Kara props herself up on the counter and watches.

"I should get going. I'm already late for work and I still have to shower and change clothes."

"You can shower here if you want. I can even lend you some clothes."

"I-" for some reason the idea of wearing Lena's clothes makes Kara blush. "Thank you, but I think it's better if I just go to my place."

"Alright." Lena dries her hands. "Whatever you prefer." Kara jumps down. "I'll walk you out." Before Lena opens the door, Kara pulls her into a hug and kisses her cheek.

"I, um, I'll see you later." She opens the door and steps out. When she turns for one last look at Lena, she finds her biting her lower lip with that goddamn intense look in her eyes that Kara _still_ can't figure out.

"Yea, later."Lena smirks.

Kara nods nervously and power walks away from Lena, before the latter convinces her to stay once again.

Kara sends Alex a text, letting her know that she's fine and returning home now. Her face goes beet red when she reads Alex's response. 'I didn't know "I'll be back home late. I'm going out with Lena." meant "I'm spending the night with Lena and will be back tomorrow on late morning" ;-)' Kara speeds to her apartment, hoping the physical activity calms her heartbeat. _What's going on?_ Is the first thing she thinks as the past day, and _that_ smile, and _those_ lips, and _those_ eyes keep on flashing under her eyelids every time she closes her eyes, the soft voice and bright laughter ringing in her ears.


	5. I think it's time

Kara is back. Finally. It was crazy, going to _another world_ , fighting aliens that she knew a little bit about, meeting all those people. She made good friends there and was glad Cisco gave her a portal to travel and communicate with them. It'd be nice to catch up with Barry or Sarah or Felicity every once in a while.

Kara is wearing her Supergirl uniform and she goes around the city in a quick patrol before landing on Lena's balcony and walking in. The latter is going over some contracts when the door opens and Supergirl strides in. Part of Lena wants to smile, seeing Supergirl after about a week of radio silence fills her with relief but then she remembers the last time they talked, they didn't leave things off on good terms exactly. So instead of flashing her with a wide grin as she usually does, Lena leans back on her chair and raises a sharp eyebrow at Supergirl.

"To what do I owe the honour?" Lena says with a bit of snark in her voice. Supergirl turns to her with a serious expression, a bit of hurt in her eyes, hands on hips.

"To you saving the city and all alien lives." Supergirl says. That catches Lena by surprise; her eyes widen a bit.

"Oh, I-" She shakes her head and stands up to walk around her table and face Supergirl. "I was only doing what's right."

"I know. And that's why I am thanking you. I know it must've been hard to find out the truth about your mother, and-"

"For me it was clear what had to be done, Supergirl. And I did it. It's not like there was much to salvage between my mum and I anyway." Lena says rather dryly, arms crossed over her chess.

"I-" Kara takes a step closer, wanting to hug Lena, but stops herself. "Yes, and you should be thanked anyways. I mean it, Lena. _Thank you._ " Lena's mouth opens and no sound comes out at first, her arms slowly falling to her sides.

"You're welcome. I didn't expect to ever be thanked for that, or anything really. I'm a Luthor after all."

"Well, for all I care, you're the real Luthor. Too good and too smart to fall on Lex's or your mother's path." Supergirl smiles at Lena, unaware of the warning bell ringing inside the latter's head. She knows she's repeating herself, but she ought to reassure Lena that all the good she's done does not go by unnoticed. "Well, I didn't come sooner because I was, eh, busy. A friend needed help with… some things."

"Understandable. We were all very worried, Supergirl. A week of radio silence from our favourite superhero and rumours started popping up."

"Rumors?"

"Yea, that you weren't coming back. That something happened that night, when I switched the isotope. There was a slight increase in small crimes, but the police handled it just fine."

"Well, there's no way I'm voluntarily leaving you." Kara smiles and when she sees Lena smirk she feels her cheeks burn. "This city is very important to me. I wouldn't abandon _all_ of you to the bad guys."

"Of course you wouldn't." Lena says, smirk still on her lips. "Well, I am glad that you are back safe, and in one piece. And so is the city." There's a knock on the door and Lena's assistant walks in.

"Miss Luthor, you're meeting starts in five minutes." She says after taking in the fact that _Supergirl_ was standing right there, apparently having a casual chat with her boss.

"Yes, I will be there in a minute." Lena says and the assistant leaves with a nod. "I'll have to take this. And I'm sure you have matters to attend."

"Of course. Have a good day, Miss Luthor. I… will be seeing you around." Kara says before walking out to the balcony and flying off.

She gives one more round around the city. It seems pretty calm. After she came back, it seemed all of the criminals decided to go back to their homes and stick there for a while. So she goes to the DEO to check up on them.

"Alex." Supergirl calls her sister as soon as she walks in. "Anything?"

"No, the city is calm for now." Alex says pleased.

"Where's Winn?"

"Went to get some food."

"I thought he brought his food from home."

"He does. I just ate it before he could."

"Alex!" Kara punches her not too hard on the shoulder. They both chuckle but it doesn't last long before Alex's eyes get somber again. "Alex…" Kara tries to pull Alex into a hug.

"No. Not here. I'm-" Alex tries to find something to do with her hands. "I'm fine. It just takes some getting used to. I miss her. But I'll be fine. Let's just not talk about Maggie at work, ok?"

"Okay." Kara nods wanting to pull Alex into another hug but decides otherwise to not make her any more uncomfortable. Alex clears her throat.

"So… you were at L Corp."

"Yea…?"

"You just got back. It's almost like you couldn't see Lena soon enough."

"Yea, well, I wanted Lena to know her help is appreciated. She's going against her family, incarcerating her own mother, she deserves to know it's not in vain. That we know she's not like them." Alex nods at her response.

"That's true and nice of you. But you sure there's no other reason?" Alex says with a little smirk, trying to ignore the part of her that still doesn't trust Lena.

"Don't you have better things to do? Like buy Winn lunch since you ate his?" Kara blushes a bit, embarrassed for some reason.

"Don't change topic, Kara." Alex looks pointedly at her sister, who's cheeks grow hotter under her gaze.

"Pfff. I'm not."

"I'm just saying that if you don't hurry up, you might not have something _better_ to _do_. She might get tired of waiting for your oblivious ass to notice what's going and at least give her a green light. Time is running out, Kara. And Lena certainly won't have a hard time finding people interested in her."

"I-" Kara is left wide eyed, cheeks pink at her sister's straightforwardness. She closes and opens her mouth but no coherent sound comes out.

"That's what I thought." Alex says as Winn walks in. Alex shakes her head and Kara can't tell if she's disappointed, angry, frustrated or all of the above. "I'm going to be on the training ring if I'm needed."

"Okay." Winn says as he drops on his chair and pops his lunch takeout box open. He starts eating when he sees Kara following Alex with puppy, yet surprised eyes, cheeks rosier than usual and the corner of her lips angled a bit down. "Hey, what happened? Did you guys fight?" Winn asks with a full mouth.

"No, I- I don't think so." Kara crosses her arms and turns to her best friend. "It's just that-" Kara's eyes drop to the floor and her cheeks go redder. _How couldn't I pay attention to that? I know I've been busy but I should've payed attention to this. The world doesn't revolve around me and sometimes I forget to take other people, who aren't on my field of vision, into consideration._

"C'mon, tell Winn what's going on in that pretty head of yours." Winn says with a smile, trying to cheer her up. Kara walks over and sits on the table next to Winn's computer, who spins around to look at Kara while he continues eating.

"It's just that something that I haven't really been paying attention to has come to my attention. And I hadn't thought about in a while. I've been so busy. You know, saving the world and all."

"Yea, Kara. You're a busy-busy woman." Mon-El says, walking in and pulling a chair to sit next to Winn, who smiles at him welcomingly. "Don't worry. You can trust me too, Kara."

"Promise to stay quiet until I finish?" Kara looks at him pointedly. "Only Winn has the right to give comments before I finish."

"It's best friend's privileges." Winn says smirking at Mon-El.

"Alright. I won't speak until you finish. Around my heart."

"What?" Kara frowns at Mon-El.

"He means 'cross my heart'." Winn explains taking another mouthful.

"Oh… okay. Well, you know I haven't been seeing anyone and haven't really thought about it 'cause, as we've agreed already, I've been really busy, right?" Both men nod at her. "And I ended things with James, because I was no longer sure that's what I wanted, right?"

"Wait, you and-" Mon-El starts but shut ups when Kara stares at him like she's about to blow him up with heat vision. He just nods and leans back on his chair.

"Dude, you do _not_ break cross the heart promises." Winn says shaking his head at Mon-El. The latter looks at him apologetically, nodding in understanding. "And yes, you were no longer sure being with the hottest photographer of the year was what you wanted." Kara gives him the same 'I will kill you' look as she gave Mon-El.

"Do you want me to revoke your speaking rights as well?"

"Noope."

"Good. So that's kinda what the, uh, discussion I had with Alex was about."

"She thinks you should go back with James?" Winn says frowning.

"What?! No. She thinks… Um, she thinks, um, that Lena's into me. And that if I don't do something about it asap, I'll miss my chance." Mon-El's jaw drops and his eyes go wide; he _clearly_ wants to say something about it but remains quiet, just the quietest of squeaks comes out from the back of his throat.

"Well, she's definitely right about both things."

"Really? You think Lena's into me?" Kara asks almost too excitedly.

"Kara…" Winn puts his take out to the side and sits next to Kara, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "My sweet summer child, she's so into you, it's a wonder how she notices other people when you're around." Kara looks at him with doey eyes. "And yes, she will eventually get tired of waiting for you to reciprocate her feelings and start dating other people, probably to get over you. You have to tell her. Take her on a date."

"Date other people to- No." Kara pouts. Mon-El raises his hand on the air, requesting permission to speak. "Yes?"

"May I speak now?"

"Yes." Winn and Karra say in a chorus.

"O-kay. I- no, not saying that. Winn said only fuckboys say that and I'm trying to not be like that." Mon-El takes a breath as Kara raises an eyebrow at Winn, who shrugs in response. "I think Winn is right. You should ask Lena on a- date?" He finishes a bit unsure of the word usage.

"See, Mon-El agrees with me."

"That's really not a strong point, Winn." Kara says standing up and turning to face them.

"Look, Kara, would you like to go on a date with Lena?" Winn asks her seriously. Kara feels all the heat that had left her face return.

"Ye-yes. I think I'd like that."

"You think?" Winn asks a bit exasperated.

"Yes." Kara answers a bit more firmly. _You do know this is Lena Luthor we're talking about? One of the smartest, hottest and most successful women in the world?_ Winn wants to ask, but decides to refrain himself.

"You are more sure of that than you were with James?"

"Yes."

" 'Cause you don't wanna do the whole 'I'm not sure this what I want' with her, right after you _finally_ go on an _official_ date."

"Good Rao! I am sure I want to date Lena Luthor." Kara says almost loudly. Thankfully the DEO employees are good at pretending they can't hear anything. Winn and Mon-El smile at her in triumph.

"Alright. It's time for some…" Winn waggles his eyebrows at Mon-El (it comes off more awkwardly than he expected) and sits back on his chair, making Kara turn again to face them "… planning." Kara looks at him a bit scared. "Don't worry. It'll be something so simple not even Mon-El could fuck it up."

"Hey!" Mon-El turns to him feigning offense, although he was a _bit_ hurt.

"So, what do I do? Take her to the movies?"

"No, that'll be for later. Though movies in general is a good idea. Kara, you angel, I know what you gotta do!" Winn looks at her with a wide grin. And there's something between fear and hope clutching at Kara's heart. "But first Kara needs to pay Lena a visit. You haven't talked to her since the Medusa fiasco."

"Okay. Can we go over the plan though? I think knowing what we'll do will calm me down a bit."

"Alright."

Next day Kara is sprinting past Lena's assistant, leaving a coffee at her desk.

"Hey-" Kara barges in Lena's office to see the latter standing maybe a little too close to a blushing redhead who's firmly holding a thin bussiness bag against her chest, and looking confident despite her reddening cheeks. There's an odd feeling in Kara's chest seeing both of them so- Lena looks in the direction of her door to see Kara standing there, her cheeks growing pink, eyes wide in surprise at seeing Lena isn't alone. And Lena's smirk grows weak. Kara tries to say something but her throat has grown dry and her mouth pasty.

"Well, Miss Kane, I'm afraid I am of no help."

"Which is really a shame, Miss Luthor. I was hoping we could get better acquainted." The redhead- Miss Kane answers, smiling.

"You should go back to Gotham. I'm sure your cousin could help you out. I've heard he's got… resourceful contacts." Lena smiles at Miss Kane.

"Of course. He for sure will be able to tell me about the matter we discussed. And he probably has something to say about the new cop we've got there. Heard she's cute." Miss Kane answers and eyes Kara, looking her up and down. Lena doesn't take her eyes off of the redhead though. "I'll be off then. It was _nice_ to _finally_ meet you, Miss Luthor. And most nice of you to meet me in such short notice."

"Of course, Miss Kane. If you ever need my assistance again, you have my card." They shake hands; they're both smirking, and share a look that lasts a little too long. And then Miss Kane is walking towards Kara, a twinkle in her eyes as she smirks, a sway on her hips with Lena's eyes focused on her.

"Sorry." Kara breathes out when she notices she's blocking Miss Kane's way out, and steps to the side. Miss Kane discreetly checks Kara out one more time.

"See you around, cutie." Miss Kane says before stepping out and closing the door behind her.

"Kara." Lena finally acknowledges her. "I wasn't sure I'd be seeing you in my office again." _Funny you should return to my office a day after Supergirl._

"I probably should start knocking." Kara says wondering what would happen if she ever caught Lena in a… compromising situation.

"Well, I'm not one to go back on my word Kara, and I said you are free to come in whenever you want."

"I- I was indisposed. Had a cold. That's why didn't come to see you before." Kara swallows.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. And I'm- I'm sorry about your mother."

"It seems you were right. She is a fascinating woman, but probably not quite in the way you were hoping." Lena says walking back to her chair and sits down; Kara follows her, walking closer to Lena's desk.

"Still, I am sorry. Must've been hard to give her up like that. But more than that I am thankful and I think it's important for you to know that you saving everyone does not go by unnoticed." Kara says sincerely. Lena stares at her, Kara can see her thinking things over, seemingly trying to solve a puzzle.

"What? Are you going to write an article about it?" Lena finally says, tossing what she was thinking about aside for the moment.

"Well, I was hoping to get a few words in, from you, if you don't mind."

"I don't. But I'm sure you'd do right by me even if you didn't get an interview."

"I- yes. But I was hoping I could get a few direct quotes from you. It'll make the article much better if the readers can hear your voice in it."

"With all the interviews, I'd think you can make the readers hear my voice whether you quote me or not." Lena says smiling. Kara opens her mouth but nothing comes out. "How about you let me wrap things up and I'll walk with you while you interview me?"

"Sounds great." Kara smiles at her and goes sit on the couch to wait for Lena. In the meanwhile she grabs her notepad and starts writing down bullet points and questions to ask Lena on their walk. Kara hears Lena calling her driver to let him know she won't need him until later and not on L Corp.

"I'm ready. Let's go?" Lena finally comes to Kara after finishing things up. Kara beams in response and gets up to follow Lena out of L Corp. Outside, the night sky is bright with a halfmoon and the stars are mostly hidden by the city lights, as usual.

They walk, Kara mostly listens to Lena, asking a question here and there. Lena talks about when Kara raised her suspicions about her mother, talks about Supergirl visiting her and helping Lena make her final decision when she said 'Be your own hero'. How she pretended to be okay with her mother's actions and views. And how yes it was painful to betray her, 'oh but it felt so much more satisfying than painful to turn her over, to see her face dropping when none of the aliens died, to show her that 'no, I'm better than you. I'm better than Lex. And I'm not going be like you. I'm going to do better. I'm going to do good. I'm going to make up for all the bad you've done'.' And before Kara noticed it, they were in front of her building. She stops and plays with her keys a bit.

"Thanks for the interview." Kara says quietly.

"Thank you for listening, as always." Lena says almost as quietly as Kara. They look at each other's eyes for a while. Both looking for something to say. Lena wants to find an excuse to stay longer, but she can't. Her heart is stuck in her throat and it scares her too much to let her think.

"I-" Kara starts, but she doesn't know what to say, so she stops to think about it. "Thank you for walking me home."

"It was my pleasure." Lena smiles at her, heart beating loudly in her chest, too loudly for her to give Kara her usual wide smile. Kara focuses on Lena's heartbeat and tries to see if there's anything wrong, anything she can do to remedy the faster than normal heartbeat. And Lena places one hand on Kara's cheek and another on her waist and pulls her closer kissing her free cheek and hugging her after leaving a red lipstick smudge on the light skin. Kara lets herself be pulled into Lena's arms and hugs back, stopping herself from hugging too tight. A breathless beat goes by with them holding each other and Kara pulls back, just enough to see Lena's eyes.

"I am proud of you, Lena." Kara lets out in a whisper. There's so much she wants to say, so much she wants to do. But she can't. It's too dangerous. So she tells Lena what she can in that small, but truthful sentence. Those words hit home hard in Lena's heart. She can feel that Kara means it, but that she also means so much more with those words. And Lena also knows Kara won't say what she means to say any time soon. So she lets a breath out that hits Kara's lips. Kara closes her eyes to muster some strength to let go of Lena. When she opens her eyes again she sees those soul seeing green eyes slightly red and slowly welling up. Kara feels anxiety pooling in the pit of her stomach at the sight, no longer willing to let go of the woman in her arms. "Lena, what-"

"It's nothing." Lena lets out, her voice hoarse. She clears her throat. "I have to go. I- Goodbye." Lena wanted to say she'd see Kara some other time, but she didn't know that'd be the case. Despite the woman's sweetness and understanding, Lena wasn't sure how long Kara would stay around and this _attachment_ would certainly cost Lena more than she could afford to lose. Lena finally makes herself let go of Kara and walks away, arms crossed over her chest as if to protect herself from the cold, as she gives long and fast strides towards the black car waiting for her on the corner. Kara stands there for a second, feeling lost and confused. She sees Lena getting in the car and looks through it and recognizes James. After seeing Lena is safe, Kara lets out a heavy sigh and walks into her building.

Lena opens the door and gets in and as soon as James drives off she lets out a heavy sigh and starts breathing properly again.

"Is everything alright, Miss Luthor?" James asks, quickly checking on Lena through the rear view mirror. Lena sighs exasperated.

"I don't think so, James." She looks out the window seeing all the people walking on the sidewalk. "I need to get a date asap."

"I've heard the internet is the place to do that now. Just be careful, Miss Luthor. We don't want you getting kidnapped again."

"It won't happen. The kidnapping. But you definitely gave me an idea about the dating part." Lena says wiping her eyes, making sure not to smudge her makeup. _Time to get away before a rug gets pulled from under your feet, as it tends to when you get attached, Lena._

Kara leaves her bag on the table and goes to the bathroom to wash her face, but as soon as she faces the mirror she sees a deep red mark on her cheek. Her eyes travel down the mirror to focus on it and Kara sees an almost perfect print of half a mouth where Lena pressed her lips against her skin. Kara looks back up to find her eyes staring back at her. _Time is running out_. Alex's words run through her mind. _What do I do?_ She feels the anxiety that was pooled in her stomach building up. _Time is running out._ Kara grabs her phone and starts looking through her contacts to make a call.


	6. Please don't go

After almost a week of freaking out and going crazy, Kara finally decides to go through with the plan she and Winn came up with. In the end, Kara never managed to call Lena after their interview; the latter was having her own anxiety attack and burying herself in work with Eddie on her lap, as she tends to when she's scared, and didn't call Kara either. Simple as it (the plan) was, it still made Kara nervous for various reasons. First: this was _Lena_ , second: what if there was a crisis and the DEO needed her? She can't just suit up and go with Lena _right there_. How would she explain it? What excuse would she make to just leave out of nowhere? Third: good Rao, this is _Lena_. So after unlocking and locking her phone a few times and leaving it open on Lena's contact, Kara finally calls her. The phone rings once. The phone rings twice.

"Hey, Kara!" Kara hears Lena through the phone and finds herself momentarily speechless. Lena, on the other hand, couldn't answer the phone any quicker, relieved Kara called because she herself had no idea of how to properly deal with the frantic heart in her chest without running off in fear. So Kara looking for her was like a blessing to Lena. "Kara?"

"Hey, hi, hi Lena." Kara finally answers. "How are you?"

"I'm… fine. How are you?" Lena has the tiniest hint of laughter in her voice, which is half due to nerves and half due to Kara being a cute dork.

"I'm good. I'm great."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"So, what are you up to?"

"I am finishing reviewing some contracts. You?"

"On a Saturday morning?!"

"Well, yes. To keep the wheel moving, you gotta keep on running." Lena answers, as always, ready to defend herself and her dedication to L Corp.

"Yea, of course. But you need a break." _C'mon, Kara. Just say it. Do it just like you planned with Winn_.

"True. I bet even Supergirl needs a break sometimes."

"Uh, I'm sure she does. But I, myself definitely wouldn't know anything about when or how superheroes need breaks."

"O-kay. You have anything in mind?"

"Yes!" It comes way more eager than she expected. Kara mentally face palms and then clears her throat. "Um, if you're free later, you could come over and watch a movie or something, have something to eat. You know, just... chill."

"Are you suggesting Netflix and chill?" Lena asks amused.

"What?!" _Good Rao, what have I done?_ "No, no. Just watch a movie and um, eat, something. Maybe pizza or ice cream."

"Or both."

"Or both!"

"Sounds great. I'm busy later tonight, but I can go at around 6."

"Perfect. I mean, sounds great. I'll wait for you then."

"I'll bring the pizza. You get the ice cream."

"Alright! See you at 6 then." Kara beams.

"See you." Lena says and after a beat she hangs up.

Kara lets out a frustrated groan. Time to let Winn know their plan is set in motion, even if not quite as they planned, they might have planned that maybe Kara should mention it's a _date_ , but oh well, it's good enough. And then she had to tell Alex she might not go to the bar tonight 'cause she has plans. Sure, they won't last long because Lena has plans for the night, but at least they'll have _some_ time together, if nothing unexpected happens, like an alien invasion or Barry jumping through a portal in the middle of her apartment. So she texts Winn to let him know she (kinda) did it and dials Alex.

"Hi, Alex."

"Hey."

"I might not make it tonight."

"Why? It's tradition by now. You can't break tradition."

"I know. I made sure at least Winn and Mon go. I mean, Mon-El is working there, but I told him he has to go stay with you for a while. And James might be too busy to go."

"I don't need babysitting."

"I know! It's not babysitting. I just feel bad I might not go, so I wanna make sure you're not alone." Alex wants to say something snarky about that but decides otherwise.

"Alright. For all we know, I'll be the one doing the babysitting with Winn and Mon-El together." Alex says making Kara chuckle. "Why are you not coming tonight?"

"Um…" Kara takes a deep breath. "Lena's coming over."

"What?" Alex thought she'd never actually hear those words. "Like, on a date?"

"No. I mean, I don't know. Probably not yet. Like this would be the, um, intro to future dates. Hopefully." _Since I wasn't able to ask her on a date, Rao knows why._

"Oh my god, Kara. You've had enough intros to future dates with Lena."

"Look, I don't know exactly how to handle this, okay? Lena is like, really, y'know. Like a lot. It'll be a date if she also wants it to be a date. And if I like. Do what you said. And at least signal a green light for her to know I'm actually interested and not just extra friendly." Alex lets out a frustrated sigh.

"O-kay. You got anything planned?"

"Movies, pizza, ice cream. Y'know, just chilling."

"Please tell me you didn't accidentally ask her to Netflix and chill on your first date."

"Good Rao! No! Alex, no. I mean- Look, we're just going to relax because it's a saturday morning right now and she's working on contracts and Lena has some other appointment later on so. The chilling part is so we can destress because we both need it. It is _not_ Netflix and chill."

"Alright. Whatever you say, Kara." Alex stifles a laugh despite herself, "Well, if you're not _indisposed_ , call me after to let me know if you're coming and how it went, alright?"

"Alright."

"We'll talk later."

"Love you, sis."

"I love you too, Kara."

Kara hangs up and goes buy some ice cream. Of course, when it came down to choosing a flavour she freaked out a bit because she didn't know which one was Lena's favourite and sending her a text asking about it didn't come to mind even though it would've decreased her anxiety exponentially. Kara buys too much ice cream, stacks it all in the freezer and starts cleaning up the whole apartment because it has to be clean and tidy and _perfect_. Obviously it doesn't take long for her to get everything shiny and tidy. She has a few movies in mind to watch but decides it's too early to set them aside. No DEO emergencies, training goes well, really, there's no way anything could go wrong. Until it's 5 pm and Alex gets a call from Kara.

"Alex! I have to _cancel_ _**everything**_!" Kara practically shouts against her phone.

"Kara wh-"

"I can't do this! She can't come here. To my apartment. I cannot. This cannot happen. No."

"Kara stop!" After a silent beat Alex takes as a cue, she continues. "Tell me what happened. Maybe I can help you."

"I- I don't know what to wear. I have _nothing_. To wear. Alex. I can't do this. She's gonna come over and she's gonna be looking beautiful and perfect and, y'know, all Lena Luthor. I won't be able to ask her if she wants this to be a date. I probably won't be able to eat. I won't-" Alex sighs as she literally facepalms as Kara keeps on babbling.

"Oh my god, Kara. I'm coming over."

"Please help me."

"I will. Give me 15 and I'll be there."

A little less than 15 minutes later, Alex is on Kara's door. She walks in to find Kara in only her underwear standing with a pile of clothes around her, staring hopelessly at the clothes that weren't on the floor yet. Alex sighs and walks to her and picks up a pink dress on the floor.

"Why not this one?"

"Didn't feel right."

"Okay. What are you looking for?"

"Something casual but _nice_. I gotta look pretty but not like I'm going out 'cause I'm not. Also wanna look like I'm more comfortable and chill than what I'm feeling right now." Alex nods.

"You're already pretty, Kara." Alex says making Kara smile, but not quite calm down. She looks over Kara's clothes. "Okay this." Alex hands her a dark blue polo shirt that was on the floor. "Those jeans and those shoes."

"Okay. Yea, okay. I like this. But are you _sure_?"

"Yes. Are you gonna wear make up?"

"Just a little bit. And I'll braid my hair."

"Alright. Good. Seems like you're all set. She's gonna be here in about 40 minutes, right?"

"Yes. She said she'd be here at 6 sharp."

"Alright. I'll go then so you can get ready. Just one more thing: did you get any food or snacks?"

"I got ice cream. Lena's bringing pizza."

"Alright." Alex walks over to the fridge and opens it. "Kara, what is this?" She stares at her sister in disbelief as she points at the contents of the fridge. " _11_ different flavours, Kara? Are you serious?" Kara blushes and smiles at her sister, clearly embarrassed.

"I don't know what she prefers. So I panicked and bought the ones I thought were the best options." Alex groans and closes the fridge.

"You could've asked her."

"Oh Rao. You think I should call her and ask now?"

"No! I'm sure she'll love at least _one_ of these." Kara nods, mentally trying to calm down. "I'll go now, before I find any more dumb things you've done because you don't know how to handle your crush." And with that and a rather encouraging smile, Alex walks out.

Kara puts her chosen outfit aside and puts all her clothes in their proper place; she gets dressed, puts on some simple eyeliner, strawberry chapstick and braids her hair. The braiding takes a while since she tries 5 different braiding styles but in the end she settles for the simple and traditional braid. With all that, there was still 15 minutes to go, and let me tell you that if it can feel like hours for a normal person when anticipating something, it feels a lot longer for someone with super speed. 13 minutes passed slower than internet explorer opening for the first time in years, but the last two went by in less than a blink. And _oh good Rao, it's time!_ But Kara's X-ray vision showed Lena was nowhere to be seen. 6:01, nothing. _Calm down._ 6:02, nothing. _She's not coming._ 6:03, nothing. _She won't show up._ 6:04, nothing. _Something happened._ 6:05, nothing. _I need to calm down, it's just 5 minutes. For Rao's sake, even I am late sometimes. Oh, she's here!_ Kara superspeeds to her door and is about to open when she stops. _No, it will be suspicious if I open before she knocks._ Lena stops in front of Kara's door, balances the pizza boxes on one hand and knocks. As soon as her knuckles hit against the wooden door, Kara yanks the door open. Lena is clearly surprised by how quickly Kara answered the door, but decides not to comment on it.

"Hey." Lena smiles. Kara takes a quick look at her, holding four pizza boxes on one hand, leather jacket still zipped up, dark skinny jeans, heeled ankle leather boots and her loose hair draped over one shoulder; Lena looked just about perfect, as Kara expected, but clearly wasn't ready for.

"Hi!" Kara beams and steps away so Lena can walk in.

"You got ice cream?"

"Yup! And you obviously got pizza."

"Yea, brought four boxes because just one clearly wouldn't satisfy your appetite."

"Yea…" Kara says blushing. They stand there for a beat or two. "I'll take these." Kara says taking the pizza boxes from Lena's hand and walking over to leave the boxes on the coffee table in front of her couch.

"Did you get the ice cream?"

"Yes." Kara decides to not let Lena know she bought way too many, at least for now. "What pizzas did you get?"

"Two pepperoni 'cause we both like it, margarita and mozzarella." Lena answers unzipping her jacket. "Can I leave my jacket here?" She points at the dining chair next to her.

"Yea, 'course." Kara answers with a smile. Lena takes off her leather jacket revealing a red and black flannel, and hangs it on the chair. _Say something_. "You want something to drink?" _Nice! Didn't embarrass myself._

"Oh, yes, please." Lena answers and goes over to the kitchen counter as Kara goes to the fridge.

"I got orange juice, water, club soda, coke and beer. Oh, and some whisky Alex surprisingly left behind."

"Hmm, I'd love to accept the whisky, but I'm driving. I'll take coke."

"You're driving? What about James?" Kara asks as she pulls the coke bottle out of the fridge and serves Lena and herself.

"I don't let him work on weekends so he can have time with his wife. Though he feels like he owes it to me." Lena takes the cup Kara offers her and they both walk and sit on the couch.

"Why?"

"I helped him and his wife financially with… It was very important for them, but they'd be drowning in debts if they got a loan, so I offered to pay it myself." Kara stared attentively at Lena. "He might not be drowning in debts, but now he feels he owes me. Truth is, just seeing how much I helped and knowing both are thankful and happier after it, is enough for me. Afterall, he does work for me."

"Still, that's more than most bosses would do for their employees." Kara says almost in awe, small smile on her lips. "Is it okay if I ask what you helped them with?"

"If you don't write about it." Lena winks at Kara and reaches out to open the top pizza box, the margarita one, and grabs a slice.

"Of course I won't!" Kara says and follows Lena, grabbing a slice for herself.

"His wife needed money to get surgery and finish her transition, so I helped them out with everything- surgery, making sure she got a proper doctor, proper recovery. I tried to make everything as smooth as possible."

"Oh." Kara didn't expect it to be something related with surgery; she was thinking of something like paying off their mortgage or something of the sort. "That's really cool. That's _awesome_. They must be so glad you helped them. You're the best boss ever, Lena." Lena chuckles.

"I doubt it, but we all have to do our best to make this a better place, right?"

"Definitely." Kara grabs the tv remote control and turns the tv on, changing from cable tv to Netflix. "Wanna watch something?" She asks leaning back on the couch and turning to Lena, who's fully turned towards Kara. Lena shrugs and takes the control from Kara and starts going through 'My List', which has Kara a bit anxious. _Please don't mind all the new movies I added._ That's because she just went on a spree of adding _all_ LGBT+ movies in netflix to her list since Alex came out and hadn't watched any yet. Lena went through the list rather quickly only stopping to comment on the movies or series she had already watched, like _How to Get Away With Murder_ "Fucking great." Or _Imagine Me & You_ "It's really cute." And then she stopped on _Blue is The Warmest Color_ , "Do not recommend it. It's just bad." And then she kept going just like she did with every other option and Kara was relieved Lena wasn't having any big reactions to any of it, since Kara herself didn't really know how to deal with it around other people. Though now she wondered why the movie was bad.

"Oh, this one! What do you think?" Kara says when they come across _Parks & Recreation _and she reaches out for the remote control.

"I haven't watched it in _so_ long." Lena says with a smile.

"So…"

"It's a yes." And Kara presses play.

In all honesty, they don't really pay attention to the episodes. At first they're both watching, but then Lena starts getting distracted by Kara and just watches the girl and how she frowns or chuckles or laughs out loud, how her glasses slide down her nose and she's quick to put them back in place. But then Lena notices Kara's attention diverting and looks back at the screen; just as her eyes focus on the screen, Kara looks at Lena. She sees the older woman seems to be enjoying herself. She looks quite at home; after finishing most of the pizza (there was only one pepperoni and half a mozzarella left) she had rolled up her flannel sleeves and tied her hair up in a ponytail. Lena had one leg bent on the couch, an arm on top of the back pillows, making it more comfortable to face Kara. Kara wasn't really hungry anymore, but she was craving something sweet. She looked over to the abandoned pizza boxes. _Hmmm._

"You want ice cream?" Kara says, snapping Lena out of a trance.

"Yes!" Lena turns to her smiling. They leave the show running and go to the kitchen; Lena leans over the counter as Kara rounds it. "So, what did you get?"

"Uuh," Kara blushes planting the palm of her hands on the counter and leaning her weight on her arms. "I got neapolitan, cookie dough, fior di latte, chocolate, strawberry, cream, rainbow, cotton candy, chocolate therapy, and mango." Kara says all that in one breath, leaving Lena with a frown. The latter moves her lips as if mumbling in silence and then raises her eyebrows in surprise. _No, she didn't get all that just today_ ; she walks over to the fridge and opens it to confirm her suspicions. Kara turned to Lena and has her lips pressed into a thin line.

"You got _eleven_ different flavours?" Kara goes beet red. Lena closes the fridge and smirks. She pushes Kara's shoulder playfully, "Who knew you cared enough to get 11 ice cream flavours _just_ for _me_." Lena winks at Kara, her smirk turning to smile when Kara buries her face in her hands, hoping to cool down.

"I didn't know what you'd like so I got the best ones I could find." Kara mumbles looking back at Lena.

"You could've asked me, y'know." And Kara feels the barely gone heat returning to her face. "You did get most of my favourites. What are you having?"

"I don't know, I was thinking rainbow or cotton candy."

"Or both." Kara laughs.

"Yea, or both."

"Well, I'm having some fior di latte and chocolate therapy, makes for great contrast."

"Alright." Kara grabs two cups and two spoons and then heads over to the fridge; she takes the chosen flavours out and serves them.

They sit back on the couch to keep on watching _Parks and Recreation_ and eat their ice cream. A few spoonfuls in, Lena stops to look at Kara. Kara gets a generous spoonful of the rainbow ice cream and takes it to her mouth. Her lips slide down taking only part of the ice cream captive; there's the quietest hum coming from Kara as the ice cream melts in her mouth.

"Can I have a taste?" Lena asks, her voice just slightly lower than usual.

"Sure!" Kara beams and is about to offer Lena her cup, when Lena grabs Kara's hand guides it so that Kara feeds her the ice cream still left in Kara's spoon. Lena closes her eyes as she presses her lips against the spoon and slides them down, leaving the spoon seemingly clean. Kara watches wide eyed, cheeks rosy as usual when around Lena.

"Hmmm, I like it." Lena says releasing Kara's hand.

"I- yea, it's really nice. I can give you some of the cotton candy one once I get to it."

"I'll love that. Do you want some?"

"No, it's-" But Lena is already offering her a spoonful of the chocolate therapy ice cream, smiling sweetly. "Sure, why not?" She goes to reach out for the spoon at the same time Lena moves her hand towards Kara; it takes her by surprise but Kara's quick to take the cue and opens her mouth to take the ice cream she's been offered. Well, it's called chocolate therapy for a reason. It's a lot and it's great and _oh my god I love this ice cream_. Kara would never admit it, but the fact that it came from Lena made it all the way better than usual. Lena bites her lower lip as Kara releases her spoon and hums in delight.

They chat and eat their ice cream, sharing once each gets to their second flavour. There are bits of silence to watch a particularly funny moment of the show, but it's all comfortable and nice. And then Lena's phone blings with a notification; she pulls it out of her pocket, looks at the screen reading the notification before unlocking her phone and types a response to the received message. She locks the phone and slides it back to her pocket, turning to Kara with an apologetic smile. Kara tries not to pout; she knows what's coming, but she really doesn't want Lena to go. It was all so nice and comfortable and familiar; Lena had to stay.

"I need to get going." Lena says, still looking apologetic.

"Is it a business meeting?"

"No." Kara beams at the response. _Maybe she can stay then, and I'll tell her. If she stays I'll tell her!_ Lena gets up grabbing the cups and spoons they left on the coffee table. She walks towards the kitchen as Kara speaks.

"So, do you _really_ have to go?" Kara has her chin on the back pillow of her couch to look at Lena, who stops halfway to the kitchen and turns to Kara smiling amusedly.

"I think it'd be rather rude to cancel a date less than an hour before it." Lena says and returns to her mission of getting to the kitchen. _What?! A date? No, it can be a friend date. It doesn't need to be like_ _ **date**_ _date._ And the sound of water hitting glass and skin startles Kara out of her thoughts.

"Hey, hey!" Kara jumps over the back of the couch and runs to Lena, who's cleaning the cups and spoons. "You don't have to! Leave it to me." Lena lets out a puff of air as if she were going to laugh.

"It's fine, Kara. I'm not made of sugar; water won't melt me." Kara fidgeted but finally gave in and pulled herself up to sit on the kitchen counter. "And if memory serves me right, you've washed cups and such in my place, so it's only fair for me to return the gesture." Lena says with a side smile. Kara blushes getting a sudden urge to hug Lena and leave a kiss on her cheek. But then she remembers-Lena is going on a date.

"So…" Kara asks while Lena dries her hands and turns to Kara. "What's with the date?" Lena frowns for a moment, "is it like, a _date_ date?" Kara asks before she thinks too much about it.

"Um, I guess. It's just a date." And now it's Lena who's looking for something to do with her hands.

"Is it like with a friend or…"

"It's no big deal. It's just a date." Lena unties her hair, runs a hand through it and starts unrolling her sleeves. "People just get lonely sometimes, you know?"

"Well, you know you have me when you need me, right?" Lena looks at Kara from under her lashes, confused for a moment, but when she understands Kara didn't quite catch her meaning, Lena smiles sadly at the wide eyed girl in front of her. "I'm your friend, Lena. You can always come to me." Lena shakes her head. _There isn't a world in the whole universe in which I'd ever deserve her._ But then she remembers Kara is hiding something, and though she's sure of what it is, she isn't sure of how to find the evidence. _Nobody's perfect._ She reminds herself.

"I know." Lena says, reassuring Kara that she's aware that their friendship is true. "I do need to go, though."

"Alright. I'll walk you down." Kara says and jumps off the counter and leads Lena downstairs after the latter gets her leather jacket.

Once they get out of the building, Kara starts looking for a car when she sees Lena walking towards a motorcycle. Lena grabs a set of keys in the pocket of her jacket, crouches to unlock the safety lock, then stands back up and unlocks the chain securing her helmet and chains it again on the back of the bike once her helmet is under her arm. Lena pulls a pair of leather gloves from inside the helmet and starts putting them on. All the while, really it was less than two minutes, Kara stands dumbstruck because _of course Lena rides an awesome motorcycle_. Kara couldn't name the bike to save a life, but that was one Aprilia Tuono V4, RR Black. Once Lena finished putting the gloves on she left her helmet on the bike's seat for a moment before looking at Kara. She sees her with her jaw slacking, eyes wide and bright despite the dark setting of night time. Lena raises an eyebrow at Kara a bit amused with the woman's expression.

"Than-" Lena starts to thank Kara for the night.

"You ride a motorcycle?!" Kara practically shouts, interrupting Lena.

"Uh, yea."

"Is that safe?"

"Of course it is!" Lena answers, "are you questioning my driving abilities?" Lena teases making Kara blush.

"No, it's just- Well, you're very exposed in a bike."

"True, but I'm also very in control of her. It's almost like riding a horse." And then Lena gets a smirk in her lips. "And if anything happens, I'm sure Supergirl will be right around the corner to save her damsel." Lena winks at Kara, a silent dare in her words.

"I- I-" Kara takes a breath and ignores the increasing heat in her cheeks. "I'm sure she will. Be safe."

"I will." Lena steps closer cupping Kara's cheek. "Be safer." She leaves a kiss on Kara's exposed cheek and steps back just as quickly.

Lena gets on her bike, adjusting it between her legs, puts her helmet on and starts the bike. She takes one last look at Kara, who recognizes the sad smile on her eyes. Lena tears her eyes aways and rides off, the bike's roar growing quieter as Lena distances herself from Kara. Kara stands still, watching Lena bent over the bike, legs tight around it taking control of the thundering machine under her, riding away from her. She stays there until Lena takes a turn and is out of sight. _I could go after her_. Kara would be quick to say it was just because she wanted to make sure Lena's safe, but that would be only partially true. The main reason that Kara felt pooling in her stomach and creeping into her heart, was that she wanted to see who was this person; who's the bastard taking Lena away from her? But she wouldn't, she couldn't. _That's a step too far._ As Kara walks back into the building and up to her apartment she tries to figure out who could it possibly be, when a thought creeps into her mind. _No way. It couldn't be her. Ms. Kane lives in Gotham, she wouldn't be back so soon, right?_ But then she remembers the redhead's smirk and confidence, her flirting and in general how beautiful she was, and how Lena didn't seem even slightly opposed to any of it. Kara fights back, wishing that thought to be gone and never take root in her, but once she reaches her door she leaves the fight aside for another day. Now she was tired. Kara walks in and closes the door behind her. Now she needed comfort. Kara presses her back against the door, closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. In. Out. She opens her eyes and it's still there, the fear, the disappointment, the frustration, the sorrow, the emptiness. _Water._ Kara goes to her bathroom to wash her face and there it is again, empty eyes staring back at her. _You lost her. You took too long. Oh yeah? I'm sorry I've been busy saving the flipping world and then another! Yea, but now you're here, and she's somewhere else with someone else_. Kara curses under her breath wondering why the hell there was a conscience to point out everything you've _ever_ done wrong. And then an interruption on the pattern of her skin catches her eyes. _Seriously? Again?_ Kara barely has the tingling sensation she had the last time she found Lena's lips marked on her skin, now there was mostly frustration. "She needs to stop doing that." Kara mumbles and wipes it off rather brusquely. Now she needed to cry. Kara feels her eyes stinging. Her throat clogged with sobs. _No, no nono._ Now she needed comfort. Kara scrambles for her phone. Now she needed Alex.

The phone rings once, twice, thrice. Kara waits. It rings some more.

"Why are you calling me? Shouldn't you be busy with somebody right now?" Alex teases Kara chirply. From the sound of her voice and Winn and Mon-El singing in the background, Kara deduced Alex was _at least_ tipsy. Kara swallows a sob. She wanted to at least hear Alex's voice for security, but did she really need to start off already asking about Lena? _Rao give me strength_.

"Um, no. She already left." Kara tried but was too tired to make her voice extra happy.

"Did something happen?" Alex asks noticing the obvious tone in her sister's voice.

"No. We had pizza and ice cream and watched Parks & Recs. Honestly, it was really nice and fun." Kara answered smiling a bit at the recent memory of Lena's laughter while Kara imitated Donna and Tom saying 'Treat yo self!'.

"Then why do you sound like you're not having fun?" Alex asks, suddenly serious and apparently sobered up. Kara takes a sharp breath in trying to stop the tears, but a sob escapes her throat breaking Alex's heart.

"Because I'm not."

"What happened?!"

"Sh-"

"Did she say something? Was she rude?"

"What? No-"

"She said 'no' to it being a date?" Alex gasps, "She didn't bring pizza?!"

"No, Alex-" _O-kay, she's definitely not sobered up._

"Oh god, did she try to _do_ something you didn't want to? I swear to god it that little prissy pretty Luthor put a-"

"Alex! She left because she had a date! She left because she had someone else to see." Alex goes quiet for a moment.

"Oh, no. Kara. I told you to girl up."

"I know. I know." Kara lets out another sob, but doesn't let any tears fall, except for that one that escaped her.

"Do you want me to come over?"

"Yes." Kara says pouting.

"Okay. I'll come over. Please don't sit against the door 'cause if your heavy ass is against it I won't be able to open it."

"Ha, funny."

"I'll see you in a minute."

They hang up. Kara walks out of the bathroom thinking of dropping on the couch to wait for Alex, but once she sees it she can't bring herself to. So she drags herself away and drops on her bed instead. She tries to nap, but despite her feeling drained, sleep never comes. Who knows how long after, the door creaks open and Alex strides in. Kara is up in a second and dives into a tight hug once she reaches Alex. Alex hugs back and then groans.

"Too… tight."

"Oh, sorry!" Kara loosens her hold on Alex, but doesn't let go. And it's with her face hidden in Alex's neck that Kara finally lets her tears run free and once they do, they don't stop. It's a silent crying, the tears stream down her face like an avalanche, but Kara is no longer sobbing. Alex only notices when she feels the salty drops falling on the crook of her neck.

"Shhh, you're alright. You're okay." Alex holds Kara's shoulder and pushes her away so she can look at her eyes. "First-let's eat one of the few ice creams you got. Second-let's talk about it 'cause there's a chance that you're overreacting."

"I never overreact!" Alex raises an eyebrow at Kara, who pouts. "Let's get ice cream."

Kara grabs the chocolate therapy pot all for herself; when Alex tries to grab some Kara swats her hand away with a frown. Alex grabs the neapolitan one. They sit at one of the couches, but "no, not that one." Kara's still pouting. Once they settle in, hugging pillows, each at one end of the couch, their bent legs meeting in the middle, Alex looks at her sister attentively, glad she stopped crying.

"So… You _like_ like Lena, huh?" Kara throws a pillow at Alex hitting her right on the face. "Oof."

"Shut up, okay!" Kara practically hides behind the pot of ice cream.

"I-"

"Told me so, yes, I know." Kara huffs. "You told me that I was obviously into her, which I hadn't really payed attention to. And you told me to hurry up, and I didn't 'cause- 'cause…"

"'Cause?" Kara sighs.

"She scares the hell out of me. She's a _lot_ , Alex. When she's around it's like I have needles on fire all over. I'm sensitive to everything, my senses get hyped up. It's crazy. It's…" Kara takes a deep shaky breath, "it's kinda overwhelming, you know? And that scares me." Alex gives her a sad smile.

"I know."

"Was it like that with Maggie?"

"Yea, for a while. But then- It'd be too complicated. For both of us. Too dangerous for her, you know? Having a daughter and all. It wouldn't work out. And she wanted to move to Gotham, so…" Alex shrugs, trying to act like it didn't hurt at all anymore. _Gotham. What's up with that place?_ Kara scowls. "So, what's up this Lena having a date with someone else thing?"

"Oh, yea… Remember that I told you she had stuff to do later tonight?" Alex nods. "Yea, well, she has a date. I asked about it, but she said it's "no big deal". "It's just a date". Whatever." Kara made sure to quote with her fingers.

"She said "it's just a date"?" Alex imitates Kara's hand gestures.

"Yea, and "people just get lonely sometimes, y'know"." Kara puffs and goes back to eating her ice cream, now 10000% sure she souldn't have picked the flavour Lena fed her earlier. Alex scoffs amusedly.

"She probably just wants to get laid."

"What?!"

"What? It's normal, you know? Sometimes you just need to boom-boom-pow, bedroom rodeo. Everyone needs a booty bounce, a bit of a bow-chick-a-wow-wow." Kara chokes on her ice cream and starts coughing. _Yup, drunk. Definitely drunk._ "Look, if she said it's no big deal, it's probably because she isn't even that interested in the date, she just had to fill her mind up with other stuff. You did tell me she was working on a saturday morning, right? To me, that sounds a lot like overworking, so other things are momentarily pushed away from your mind. That's what I did when…"

"So, I just need to girl the hell up and show her she can trust me. Show her… show her she can rely on me, she can have me." Kara looked a bit lost though there was certainty and determination in her eyes.

"And you're sure of this? You're sure Lena's worth it, is enough to fight f-"

"Of course she is!" Kara looks at Alex in disbelief.

"Honestly, she's hot enough for you to fight for." Kara's eyes just go wider.

"Alex!" Kara throws another pillow at her face while simultaneously kicking her leg.

"Aaauu!" Alex grabs at her leg pouting, but once she sees Kara's scowl she shakes it off. It's not like her body wasn't numb all over with the whisky buzzing through her. "Okay, I'm sorry." They both pout for a bit, but then Kara gets an embarrassed look on her face. "What?"

"Uh, she _is_ really hot." Kara mumbles under her breath making Alex laugh, throwing her head back.

"Alright, let's revel in your sorrow a bit more and watch 'he's not that in to you'."

"You're evil." But who's Kara kidding? She loves that movie…

It's all smiles and short touches. Make them laugh. A lowly whisper against their ear. Ghosting lips on their neck. Legs tangling under a table. Hold them by the hand. Bring them closer. Eyes revealing all desire. A kiss. And then more. Stumble into a hotel room and let go. Let go. There's nothing to hold on to. Nothing holding onto you. Nothing. It's bright, fiery emptiness and almost believing freedom has been reached. But then her name fills your mouth and lingers softly on your lips. And you know there's a thread tightly attaching you to her. There's no such thing as freedom.

Lena sits up on the hotel bed, looking around the room lit only by a bed lamp, to find her clothes. She looks back at her date. _Asleep. Good, it's better this way, right?_ She hadn't done this for a while, so she wasn't sure what was the right protocol to follow. _It's all about protocols now. This shouldn't have protocols-it probably doesn't._ Lena finds her bra and put its on, her flannel on the chair, her underwear right next to it. _Where are my pants?_ She spotted her boots and socks closer to the door.

"Not gonna even kiss me goodbye?" The low husky voice comes from behind her.

"Fuck." Lena curses under her breath. She turns to find her date propped on one elbow, blanket slid down to their waist. "Sorry. I- I really should get going." Lena goes for her boots and socks. Looks around her room. _Where?_ She goes to the bureau but there's only her date's shirt and her leather jacket. Lena groans. "Have you seen my jeans?"

"These?" They reach down on their side of the bed picking up a pair of jeans.

"Yup." Lena answers and they stretch their arm towards her.

"Is this about, um, Sara? Kara?" Lena drops her outstretched arm. She looks down and groans.

"I-" Lena shake her head and looks up at her date, who's now sitting up crossed legged, still half under the covers. "I thought you hadn't heard it."

"It's alright. I wasn't sure at first, but then I saw the look of panic you had for a moment and I knew you had said a name you're trying to forget."

"Yea, not exactly forget." Lena leans against the bureau behind her and leaves her jeans on it, next to her.

"So… You're like friends?" They get up from the bed and lean on the bureau with Lena, not bothering with getting covered.

"Yea. Good friends. She's… precious." Lena says with a smile. "She cares a lot about me."

"Cares a lot, huh?" They smirk at Lena.

"You know people can care about you and not want to fuck you, right?"

"Yes. They can also want to fuck you without caring about you."

"Uh-"

"I'm not calling you out. We both new how this would end from the start." They share a smile. "So…"

"I'm not a hundred percent sure she likes me like that. I think she does, but I don't know for sure. I give her plenty of chances to say something or do something for me to _know_ , but honestly I just need a green light. I sign I can actually go for it."

"And you think she hasn't given it to you, so you won't try it?"

"No, it's- She has a secret." They raise their eyebrows. "And I know people have their secrets and it's okay for them to keep them. But she wants me to open up and that will only make me get even more attached to her. She wants me to fully trust her, when she won't even do it herself."

"But like you said, everyone has the right to keep their secrets."

"Yea… I've just had an awful run of people having secrets and then breaking my trust precisely because of that secret. Not to talk about how much leverage people can have on you if you get attached to someone."

"You need to learn how to trust people. At least to trust her."

"I- I'll see if I can try. Maybe I can." They smile at Lena brightly.

"I bet you'll make it, and maybe once she sees you trust her, she'll open up."

"We'll see." They hug Lena, to her surprise.

"Now finish dressing that hot bod of yours and get outta here." They say playfully, winking, and drop back on the bed. Lena shakes her head smiling. After all, it was a good date. _Bling._ Lena finds her phone and looks at it. _God, can't these people get a life? I really don't need business emails on Sunday at 3 am. Wait, Kane?_


	7. Just Friends

Mon-El slides back a few feet from the force of Kara's kick, struggling to keep his balance. The screech of rubber dragging on the floor echoes through the training rink.

"C'mon!" Kara shouts, jumps in the air and lands a punch on Mon-El that he defends with his arms crossed over his head and rolls to the side before Kara can land a knee on his ribs. "Fight back!" Mon-El tries to punch her, but Kara deflects it swiftly bending down and lands a punch on his stomach. Mon-El falls on the floor and rolls away and to his feet as Kara comes for him with a kick. He sweeps his legs in front of him, supporting his weight on his arms, and hits Kara's legs making her fall. Mon-El gets up and starts stepping back quickly. His eyes always on Kara, arms protectively raised in fists as Kara stands looking ready to destroy him. This had been going for almost two hours; it has been the second day in a row that Kara was giving him a beat down and Mon-El wasn't sure why. He was following all rules, training to be a superhero; sure sometimes he'd sneak out with Winn, but he never did anything _wrong_. _So why is she being so aggressive?_ Kara gets up, flipping her hair out of the way and locks her eyes on Mon-El and that's when he sees it. Kara is full of plain frustration and apparently not because of him 'cause her eyes are sort of glassed over. Kara superspeeds to him, but Mon-El holds his position firmly against her impact. They trade punches but Kara clearly has a lot of motivation to punch harder. In a moment of pain and exhaustion, Mon-El doesn't move fast enough and Kara is able to punch his hands off the defending position leaving him wide open. Kara grabs him by the neckline of his shirt and slams him against the wall that was barely able to contain her strength. She holds him there and Mon-El starts repeatedly tapping Kara's arms in no specific pattern but Kara doesn't seem to even notice.

"Three taps thing, three taps thing!" Mon-El chokes out.

"Oh!" Kara snaps out, her eyes growing wider and softer as she loosens her grip on Mon-El and her eyes focus on his face. "Oh, Mon, I'm so sorry." Kara taps around his neck and chest area checking for major injuries and then holds his chin tilting his head up to look at his face. "Are you okay?"

"Yea, yea." Mon-El straightens up, wincing a bit. "You've just been kicking my ass for the most part of the last two hours. That's all."

"I'm sorry." Kara crosses her arms, stepping back to give Mon-El space.

"It's alright. But are _you_ okay? You seem a bit out of it. Though this would definitely work if I was a bad guy, I really would like to not suffer your rage."

"I, um, I've been trying to talk to Lena in person, but it's been impossible. She's always busy with something. On Monday she was packed with meetings. Today she was having a business lunch. And her text responses are so short. It's all been really frustrating, which I tend to take out on training and uugh" Kara grunts throwing her hands up, "I don't get it! Like, she could just be really busy or she could be avoiding me, or she could be making herself busy _to_ avoid me." Kara groans in frustration. Mon-El stands there for a second, listening attentively and fidgeting a bit. When Kara stops talking he takes a step forward and pulls her into a hug. Kara is dragged in and doesn't really react due to her surprise to it.

"It's gonna be okay. I'm sure she isn't avoiding you. She's the boss, right? Meaning you could be 100% right, and she's just really busy." Kara smiles sweetly and hugs him back resting her face on his shoulder. "You just need to keep on doing what you do best…" Mon-El pulls back to look at Kara, "Fight. Fight for what you believe in. Fight for what you want. Fight for your heart." Kara can't stop smiling at her friend.

"Thanks, Mon." She gives him a quick hug. "What is this, huh? You giving good, sound advice?"

"We all have our moments, Kara. We all have them." They both laugh and walk out of the training rink. Or more accurately, Kara helps a limping Mon-El walk out of the rink and into medical. She leaves him there and though she's sorry to have hurt him, Kara is glad he reminded her that this is the best thing she does: Fighting. _I can punch my way through anything. Well, metaphorically in this case. I'm not punching Lena._

Kara does a couple more patrols before she finishes reviewing her article on Lena-Snapper rejected the one she turned in before because it made Lena sound like a freaking saint and "nobody that can deceive the leader of a terrorist group like Cadmus is _that_ wholesome"-so she just had to put in a bit more on Lena's flaws, like her not telling Kara, _ehem_ , Supergirl about her plan.

"You're still on that article?" Winn asks as he walks behind Kara to sit on his chair.

"Yea, Snapper made me rewrite some of it."

"Lemme guess, your big crush for the protagonist of your article came through?" Kara pouts and throws a pen at him. "Ouch!"

"Yes, but I've fixed it. I need to go and turn it in." Kara says saving the document.

"Alright. See you."

"Bye." Kara waves and leaves.

This time Snapper accepts her article right before commenting on how Kara must be at least Lena's friend by now with all the articles Kara interviews her for. Kara just brushes off the comment hoping her cheeks don't look as hot as they feel. _Everything is fine. I'll just try tomorrow again._

Next day, around lunch time, Kara is striding in on L Corp.

"Hey, Jess." Kara places a bag of donuts on her desk. "Is Lena here?" Kara says trying to keep her hopeful smile under control. Jess gives Kara an awkward smile.

"She left for lunch."

"Oh…" Kara nods pouting a little bit. "Does she have any free time? Like at all."

"Not today. I'm sorry, Kara."

"Um…" Kara looks around as if her surroundings would give her a solution. "Do you think she would mind if I dropped in on her while she's having lunch?"

"Normally, she'd love to have you drop in, but today she's not alone, so that might not be the best idea." Jess has a sad smile.

"Oh… okay, then."

"She'll be busy tomorrow too. She's all booked this week. I'll let her know you came so she can see when she can make time for you."

"Is- I'm sorry, Jess, but I have to ask. Is she… avoiding me?"

"No, she really is busy. We got a new business partnership, so it's a bit hectic. Though, from what I've seen, she does have the tendency to get scared when things get too emotional for her. People don't tend to fight for her. So if she _does_ avoid you, it's because she's afraid."

"I will keep on trying."

"Really?" Jess raises an eyebrow.

"Yes!" Kara beams making Jess smile.

"Okay… I wanna see _that_ happening _._ "

"You will. Bye."

"Bye." And with that Kara goes to the DEO to start her patrols of the city.

Kara is flying through the city, the wind whipping her hair and cape under the night sky. When she hears a thud of a lot of paper hitting a hard surface, a grunt and then cursing and _is- is she crying?_ Kara speeds to L Corp and lands on Lena's balcony. She sees Lena through the window wiping her eyes delicately, keeping her makeup unsmudged. Kara knocks on the glass door before opening it and walking in; but instead of her usual confident Supergirl stride, Kara walks in gently.

"Supergirl!" Lena looks at her with surprise plastered on her face.

"Ms. Luthor, is everything alright?"

"I thought you had moved on to 'Lena', Supergirl."

"Uh," that's when Kara remembers she's actually been calling Lena, 'Lena' as Supergirl for the past few times they met. _Nice one Kara._ "Alright, Lena." Lena smiles at her. "So, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just really busy. And stressed/" Lena straightens up looking away from Supergirl and gestures to several folders on her desk, one open right in front of her chair; Lena had read past half of the folder and Kara guessed that was at least 80 pages. _Yup. Busy as hell._

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kara takes a step towards Lena.

"Yes, Supergirl. I am _fine_." Kara gives the pile of folders one more pointed look and Lena looks at her trying to figure a few things out. _Why does she care? Did- did she hear me? Why would she care that_ _ **I**_ _am in the verge of tears? Is she-_

"You need a bit of fresh air, Lena." _Why do you care?_ The question lingers in Lena's mind; she wants to ask it, but for some reason can't bring herself to do it in a way that wouldn't be full of snark. She's too on edge to make this sort of question softly, And she just can't bring herself to do it, like she did a few weeks ago.

"I guess I do." Lena crosses her arms, suddenly uncomfortable with the rush of warmth she was getting from someone trying to make sure she's alright. Kara starts walking backwards, eyes always on Lena. She stretches her hand out shortly before her feet hit the balcony floor.

"Come with me, Lena. Let's get some fresh air." Supergirl has a small smile on her lips. Her eyes full of hope and something else. Lena takes a few steps towards Supergirl, but when she's right in front of her, Lena stops, biting her lip, fidgeting. Kara hovers a bit above the floor and keeps her hand stretched out for Lena. "Take my hand." And with a deep breath, Lena does.

Kara pulls her up gently, wrapping an arm around her waist. Lena wraps her free arm around Supergirl's neck as the hand Supergirl held gently rested there. When Lena saw them hovering further and further from her balcony, she expected the pull of gravity to force her to hold onto Supergirl for her life, but then there was only the chill of the wind and the heights and the night as Supergirl held her firmly by the waist with apparently no effort. Lena loosens her grip on Kara; she wants to look around, but there isn't much space for that so Lena rests her chin on Supergirl's shoulder and watches the city under them with occasional strands of hair whipping at her face.

"Here, so you can have a better view." Supergirl says against Lena's ear and pulls her up a bit, sliding an arm under Lena's knees to hold her. Lena shifts easily in Kara's arms, now with her arm wrapping around Supergirl's shoulder and her now free hand gently resting on her chest. There's a feeling of familiarity to being held like this in the air by Supergirl, but then she looks around and the city is simply breathtaking.

"Wow…" Lena looks at the view of National city at night below them. "It's like we're above the stars." Lena says softly. Supergirl smiles at her.

"It is."

"You've been above the stars?"

"More like among them." Kara answers trying to keep the sorrow of her memories away from her voice. They stay like that for a few minutes. Lena in complete awe of this. The only way she could _maybe_ have this view is if she flew on a helicopter and there's no way she'd voluntarily do that again. And Supergirl's arms felt a lot safer and warmer and more comforting than a loud metal machine. In the meanwhile, Kara enjoyed Lena enjoying the view. She saw this practically every night, but this was her first time seeing someone seeing what she sees for the first time.

"This is amazing. Thank you-" Lena stops herself before Kara's name slips out of her mouth. She curses at herself. "I do need to go back, though." Lena says finally turning away from the city to look at the Kryptonian holding her. To her surprise, Kara had her face turned towards her, so when she turned to Supergirl, her nose hit Supergirl's cheek right next to her lips, her own lips almost brushing against Kara's chin. _Too close._ "Oh-" Kara feels her stomach drop and flutter and her heart races just as Lena's skips a beat, but Kara doesn't move her face away. Luckily, the cool night air kept their cheeks mostly free of the embarrassment. "Sorry…"

"There's no need to apologize, Lena." Kara tries to keep her voice free of any hint that her heart was going way too fast inside her ribcage. "You want me to take you home?" Kara starts descending. Lena places the hand that was on Supergirl's chest, on her own thigh, tapping her fingers in a pattern to calm herself.

"No, thanks. You can leave me at L Corp. I still have at least that folder to finish tonight."

"Alright then. Just try not to overwork yourself."

"That'd be mostly impossible, Supergirl. Especially these couple of weeks. I'm sure you can relate. In _all_ your jobs." Kara squints at Lena trying to figure out what _exactly_ she means by it.

"Um, yea, of course." Kara gently lowers their altitude till they're on Lena's office balcony. They stay quiet the whole time. Kara listens as Lena's heartbeat regains its normal pace, which calms her own heart. And then her feet land softly on the ground. Kara gently drops Lena's legs so she can stand.

"Ooh," Lena stands on shaky legs and holds on to Kara's upper arms for balance; Kara grabs Lena by her elbows holding her up.

"You're alright?" Kara looks at Lena worriedly.

"Yes, just a bit shaky. It's not everyday that a superhero takes you for a flight and to watch the city, y'know?" Kara smiles widely at that. They both chuckle a bit. When Lena feels confident on her legs she let's go of Supergirl. "Thank you. You were right, I needed some fresh air." Lena smiles at Supergirl gratefully.

"Well, anytime you need me, just call me."

"Oh, you're gonna give me your phone number?"

"Uh, no. I meant, literally call me. 'Cause I'll be able to hear you."

"Oh, so you'll keep your ears tuned to me just in case I call? How thoughtful. Do you do that for all your fellow citizens?" Lena's smile turns to a smirk and now Supergirl wants to just fly off before she says anything stupid.

"Uh, um, well- no. I'm- that's not what I meant." Lena chuckles.

"It's alright. I'm just teasing you."

"Oh."

"Never thought I'd ever find myself teasing a Super. And definitely not after she flew me around." Lena's smirk melts into a side smile. Kara gulps but smiles back. "I mean it, thank you."

"Anytime," and out of habit, or need, Kara leans in wrapping her arms around Lena and pulls her closer into hug. Lena gasps quietly, but the feeling of those arms around her are just too comforting, _there's no reason to fight back_. Lena hugs back taking a deep breath to recover from her surprise. And that's when it hits her. It's not strong, like it has a veil muffling it, but there's the soft smell of sunshine and cinnamon and it feels so familiar as if she were used to it. As if that scent smelled of a home Lena hadn't quite found yet. She pulls herself out of the hug, a bit out of it.

"Y-" _Don't comment it, Lena. Leave it alone._ "Thank you. I'll see you." Lena kisses her cheek rather shyly. Kara stares at Lena a bit dazed.

"Yes. I will see you." And she takes flight as Lena steps back into her office.

Lena sits at her desk and buries her face in her hands letting a grunt out. _What am I doing? What's going on?_ Lena looks at the folder before her. She might not have spent too much time in the sky with Supergirl, but time was precious in a packed week like this, and she had many contracts to go over before signing anything. There's a knock on the door and Jess walks in.

"It's Ms. Kane. She wants to know if you can manage tonight?" Jess says holding an electronic pad on her hand, ready to make adjustments to Lena's schedule. Lena lets out an exasperated sigh.

"Shit." She curses under her breath. "I can't make it. I still have to finish at least this one for tonight. We shouldn't let these projects be delayed. Tell her if she's okay with eating snacks while reviewing contracts, then I can make it." Lena taps her pen fervently on her desk, swinging it between two fingers as Jess types on her pad. "Ask Kate if she'd rather come tomorrow. Maybe for lunch. Any time, really. We need to have this talk asap, so we'll make time for Kate, alright?"

"Yes, Ms. Luthor." Lena finds where she stopped reading to continue. Jess is about to walk out when a thought comes to mind. "Um, Ms. Luthor?" Lena raises her eyes to Jess. "Ms. Danvers came by earlier today. Looking for you, obviously."

"Fuck. I forgot to text her. Shit." Lena runs a hand through her hair. "Why didn't you show her in?"

"You were at lunch when she got here, and since it was business, I thought it was best if she didn't go find you."

"Fuck. Of course, Jess. Thank you. You can finish up whatever you need to and go home. It's already getting late." Lena shakes her head. _Great job, Lena. She's probably thinking you're pushing her away. It'll be no wonder if she leaves. Who'd want to keep you around, anyways? Nobody ever does._ Lena takes a deep breath. _Fuck you. Fuck you._ _ **Fuck. You.**_ Lena grabs her phone and looks for Kara's messages.

" _Hey, Kara. Jess just told me you came by today. I'm sorry. I'm neck deep in contracts, meetings and just business in general. As soon as I can have time to spend with you, I'll let you know."_ Lena sends the message and locks her screen to go back to reading while ignoring the nagging need to check for a response. Three pages in and _Bzzzz_. Lena grabs her phone.

" _Alright."_ Is Kara's short, dry response. _She's giving you up. You're not worth it anymore. Why put in the effort on someone who never has time? She got plenty of articles on you. There's no need for her to keep you in her life now._ _Shut up. We have this folder to finish. Exactly. You'll finish this folder, instead of going after the girl 'cause you know what will happen. There's only heartbreak in it for you._ Lena grunts cursing insecurity, cursing all of her issues, cursing every fiber of her being because, _goddammit_ , it was all true. She was staying there until she finished this folder. Then she'd take one home and read it while dining on some snacks, then she'd read it in breakfast and when she gets to L Corp in the morning. And she wouldn't look for Kara during that time. She wouldn't throw it all aside and grab her bike to race her way to Kara. She would stick with L Corp because that's all she had. L Corp won't leave her. Everyone wants it to do all the good it _can_ do, even when they don't believe a Luthor can do it. L Corp will be standing firm and Kara… _Sweet Kara. She won't stay. She's trying now, but once she gets too close, she'll see_ _ **you**_ _and walk away._ But L Corp is there and it isn't going anywhere.

Kara was flying around the city when she felt her phone vibrate. She stops somewhere mildly hidden and grabs it-text from Lena. She reads it but then she hears a shot; Kara starts looking around the city, another. _There_. Kara gives Lena a quick answer and superspeeds to the crime scene.

"Supergirl, there's a-" Alex voice sounds through the communicator in her ear.

"I know. I'm on my way."

As usual, it was quite easy. They shoot at her, the bullets bounce right off. She makes a witty comment and takes the gun from them, immobilises them and waits for the police to take care of the rest. Everyone is looking at Kara a bit awkwardly, but Kara doesn't really mind it. She's in a hype. She had some time with Lena, stopped crime, this night was great. So, awkward, judging eyes wouldn't bring down her good mood. Once the cops get there, Kara flies off to the DEO. She strides in, a giddy smile on her lips. She goes to Winn, Alex and J'onn and all three are looking at her a bit weird. Winn is sitting on his chair as usual, Alex and J'onn are standing.

"Hey!" Kara beams.

"Um, Kara you…" Winn begins.

"Did you go see Lena?" Alex asks. J'onn brings his hand up to cover his eyes, mumbling something like 'Why? Why does she keep on doing things like this?'

"Uh, yea. Why?" Kara frowns a bit at the weird way they're acting.

"You got a lil' something…" Winn finishes gesturing at his own cheek.

"What?" Kara wipes at her cheek and when she looks at her hand there's a smudge of red lipstick on her fingers. Her eyes go wide, cheeks going red in an instant. _AGAIN LENA?!_ "Oh!" Winn has his lips pressed into a thin line, trying really hard not to laugh. Alex sighs, looking down, hands on hips. J'onn grunts, still covering his eyes. "It was just on the cheek." Kara says, for some reason thinking it'd make a difference. Winn bursts out laughing, Alex hits her knuckles against his head.

"Does she _know_?" J'onn asks looking at Kara pointedly.

"No!" Kara answers immediately. There's a pang of guilt in it, but she ignores it. _It's for her safety._

"Oh, so it's all grand! It's just _Supergirl_ having an _affair_ with Lena _Luthor_?!" Alex asks. "Kara doesn't matter in this? Or does she?"

"Well, it's not like that. We're not having an… affair. It was just- I just- Look, I was patrolling and then I heard her. She was very stressed out and I wanted to comfort her. But, as I said, I was on my patrols so when I went to see her, I was in my uniform." Kara gestures to all of herself.

"You still have a little bit." Winn says. Kara wipes at her cheek again, but it just spreads a bit more, making her cheeks look rosier than they already were. "Here." He hands her a wipe.

"Thanks, Winn." Kara cleans her cheek.

"You had your hearing tuned to her?!" Alex asks clearly exasperated.

"Well, I- um, it's just- Look, I just- Well-" She clasps her hands together.

"For the love of-" J'onn grunts and throws his hands up before walking away, probably to do some relaxing exercise.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I just couldn't, alright?"

"All I'm saying Kara is that you need to be more careful. If she doesn't know you are you _and_ Supergirl, you're making her choose between one and the other." Kara just stares at her sister wide eyed. "And no matter who she chooses, it's gonna hurt you, because there was one part of you she set aside instead of picking you as a whole. That's why this is _definitely_ a bad idea." And Alex storms off. Now _that_ was enough to bring Kara down from her hype.

"Kara…" Winn starts.

"If you're going to shout at me too, save your breath."

"No. I wanna say that you can do it. If you want to tell her or not, you can still do it. Though I think it'd be way more dangerous if she has an affair with Supergirl 'cause all your enemies would go after her. Kara Danvers though, that girl doesn't really have enemies that would try to murder your girlfriend."

"Thank you, Winn."

"Any time." Winn smiles at her from his chair. "But you have to think about it. Is your secret worth Lena knowing only a fraction of you instead of truly knowing _you_?" Kara stares at him seriously, pondering on his words. She shakes her head. _I'll think about it later_.

"Come here." Kara gestures for him to stand up and once he does, she gives him a tight hug. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course! J'onn and Alex will probably try to trap you here as soon as you get here." They laugh nervously and Kara goes home.

Next morning Kara walks into CatCo and there seems to be a bit of a commotion.

"Snapper," Kara calls him as he walks by. He stops for a second.

"I bet you won't complain about this one. You get Luthor and Supergirl, as you're always trying to. And James is calling you in his office." And he walks off.

"What?" Kara stands there confused. _What does he mean with I get Luthor and Supergirl?_ Kara fast walks to James office. She still misses seeing Cat there, but at least she knows Cat is doing alright. "Hey, James. Snapper told me you're looking for me." James looks at her, and Kara knows _something_ is coming. "What?"

"So, I got an email today offering a picture." James sits on his table and starts looking through the computer. "You know I don't care much for offers from paparazzis, but _this_?" And on the big screen behind James, he pulls up his email, clicks on the image and Kara sees why _Luthor and Supergirl_. It's a not the best angle, but the picture was of good quality. Overall, it was a nice picture and it's clear who it is in the picture. It apparently was taken from one of the neighbouring buildings but it still was a shot from below. It showed Supergirl holding Lena Luthor, one hand holding Lena's gently, her other arm holding Lena close by the waist. Lena's arm resting on Supergirl's shoulder, wrapping around her neck. Both looking at each other, their faces only centimeters apart. With the way they're holding each other, they might as well be on a dance floor. Kara's jaw drops. She's about to speak but James continues, "the source said they couldn't get any more pictures because Supergirl flew off with Lena Luthor. Too high for them to get any more shots." James sighs and takes the image off the big screen, which lets Kara return to breathing.

"I-" Kara doesn't really know what to say.

"I made sure the source wouldn't provide this picture to anyone else. I wasn't the first one to see it, so _everyone_ is dying to write about it, so I assigned it to you. I'll give you the file and delete it from my computer. You do what you like with it, but I will need you to write an article on how Supergirl and Lena get along. Or everyone is going to be on my neck for giving you something you won't work on when they're literally begging for it."

"James, I can't. That was nothing. We're not-"

"Kara, what is going on between you and Lena isn't the issue here. The problem is that I was neither the first nor the only one to see this picture. If that was the case, I'd just show you the picture, tell you to be more careful and that's _have_ to do this. Or I'll have to hand it to someone else. I'm sorry Kara." James says sounding tired. He let's out a breath and shakes his head. "I think if anyone should talk to Lena about this, it should be you. I'm sorry."

"James, you're the boss. You can just tell them no, we're not doing this." Kara walks towards him. "Please, James. Don't make me do this. I can't do this to her. James. If we make an article that talks about her relationship with Supergirl, in _any_ way, they'll focus even more on her. She already has enough pressure on her as it is." Kara feels her throat clogging up. "She's a _Luthor_ , James! Trying to do _good_!" Kara chokes out. "She doesn't need this too." Kara's breath is short, she feels the tears sting her eyes at the prospect of this picture been made public. _Lex_ and _Lillian would probably try to kill her again._ A deep breath and she's calmer. James looks at her for a moment, pondering.

"I'll see what I can do, but you've got to have something to replace it asap, alright? And it's got to be good, or they'll be on my neck and _yours_ for this." James says seriously.

"I will! Thank you, James. Really, a lot. Thank you!" Kara beams.

"And please, be careful."

"I will."

"Here," James hands her an usb. "It's here. I'll delete it from my computer."

"Thank you, thank you!" Kara grabs the usb like it's a treasure and puts it in her bag.

"Try not to frame it." James says, referring to the picture. Kara's blushes as she hears that and walks out.

Unaware of what's happening in CatCo, Lena is finishing up a folder. _Three to go and then we're done. We might even start the projects earlier than expected._ Lena smiles despite the stress and the ache of hunger in her stomach. There's a knock and Jess opens the door.

"Ms. Kane has arrived."

"Please, show her in." Lena says. Jess nods and leaves. Short minutes after. Kate Kane is opening the door. She's wearing black jeans, a red shirt, black boots and a jacket, her sunglasses pulled over her shiny red hair.

"Lena." Kate greets her with a side smile.

"Kate," Lena smiles at her while standing up. They meet halfway with a hug.

"Shall we discuss this over some lunch?" Kate asks smiling.

"Sure, why not?" Lena smiles back and grabs her bag before leading Kate out of her office.

A bit after lunch time Kara goes to L Corp. Her initial plan was to go and talk to Lena, see how things were going, ask her about her date, but now she had more pressing matters. Now she had to tell Lena to be careful around Supergirl because they were being watched. Sure, it was mostly her fault, she could've left Lena alone, she could've been more discreet, just stayed in her office instead of taking her for a flight. But she couldn't; Kara saw Lena in pain and couldn't help herself.

"Hey, Jess!" Kara leaves a coffee on her desk as she walks by.

"Kara, wait. Lena's b-" Jess tries to stop Kara, but Kara is already on her way to Lena's office. And then Lena's office door opens and Kate Kane strides out, confidence in every steps, a bright smile on her face. Kara stops on her tracks. _No, not her. It's nothing. Just business_. But when she looks through the wall to see Lena sitting on her couch, her smile told Kara this wasn't just a profesional visit.

"Hey, Jessie." Kate leans over on Jess' desk. "Here, so you can treat yourself." Kate slides a spa gift card for two across the table to Jess and winks at her before walking out. Jess takes the card, clearly surprised and definitely flustered. And then she remembers Kara is there and she's looking like she just lost _the_ opportunity of her life.

"Kara, it's not…" Kara walks away and doesn't mind anything around her, "what you think." So she doesn't hear that. As you can guess, Mon-El got a beat down again. Jess practically runs to Lena. "Ms. Luthor, Kara Danvers was here."

"Oh, please show her in, Jess." She had thought about texting Kara for them to meet up after work, maybe get dinner, but if Kara's there now, then now is perfect.

"She left, Ms. Luthor."

"What? Why?"

"Um…"

"Jess?"

"She saw Ms. Kane leaving your office and left before I could say anything."

"Fuck." Lena buries her head in her hands, grunting. "Did she think-"

"She didn't say anything, but from the look on her face, yes."

"Dammit. Thanks, Jess. I'll fix this." _Or try._ Jess leaves Lena mumbling to herself. "I told Kate all that flirting with everyone when doing business could be problematic." _But problematic only for you in this case, 'cause she charmed all of those old men with you and you got all the terms you wanted for the project_. Lena finishes up the contract, there were a few things that weren't adding up and it just stank of attempted bribery and there's no way she'll take L Corp down _that_ rabbithole. With only two more folders to check, Lena calls Kara. She doesn't answer. _Hmmm_. Lena pouts and calls her again. When she's sure the call is gonna cut, Kara answers.

"Hello."

"Hey, Kara!" Lena waits hopeful. Nothing. "Um, it's Lena."

"Yea, I know. What is it?" _Shit, shitshitshitshit._

"Oh, um, I- I'm calling 'cause Jess told me you came by earlier. If I'd known, I would've made time for you." _Please, Kara._

"Of course."

"I was going to call you anyway. I thought we could have dinner tonight. You can even interview me, if you want. I'll give you whatever you want."

"I can't. I'm busy tonight."

"Kara, it was noth-" _Please_

"I'm sorry, Lena." _Please, Kara. I'll give you anything. I'll tell you about Supergirl visiting me, though you probably already know because you're probably her. Just come, please._ "Maybe we can talk tomorrow." And as Lena starts speaking again, Kara hangs up, leaving Lena feeling more alone than ever in her office. _See, she's leaving you._

After kicking Mon-El's ass again, Kara sits in front of one of the DEO's computers next to Winn and tries to come up with news that could replace the _Supergirl & Luthor_ news. It doesn't take long before Winn feels Kara's frustration hitting him like a truck and after he barely starts asking what's, Kara spills the beans and tells him _everything_. The picture. Kate Kane. Everything. Obviously there's commentary, but not too much; Winn didn't want to give frustrated Kara reasons to think popping his head was the best course of action.

"You want me to help you out?" Kara nods pouting. "I'll check out your list and add some stuff alright?"

"Yea… thanks, Winn. You're the best."

"Oh, I know, ma gurl." He clears his throat after getting a look from Kara. "I'll get to it now."

Kara is sitting on her couch looking through the list of possible news to substitute her _Supergirl & Lena Luthor _news she made with Winn, but nothing seemed big enough, good enough to replace it. _It has to be big. That's what James said._ She goes through it, crossing those that won't do, circling those that might. _I could always fly out and do something big and stupid. That'd make the news._ It's around 11 pm when Kara comes across something she didn't notice before. _It's probably something Winn added_. "Kate Kane is acting as Wayne Enterprises' representative on negotiations with L Corp. Waynes and Luthors joining forces? What does this mean?" _So that's why Kate is here._ There are pictures of Lena walking into L Corp with Kate Kane. She has some papers in hand and is pointing at something on it, showing it to Kane. Then a few of Kate walking out of L Corp, that confident smirk always present. Kara almost hated it, but looking at Kate now, without the intimidation of what Kara thought her presence meant, she seemed like a nice person, like they _could_ get along. _Is this what Lena wanted to talk about? Did Jess tell her what happened?_ Kara grunts, falling back on the couch. _Rao, what's going on?_ Kara circles that. Two of the most wealthy families were joining forces, one known for its extensive good work, the other known for its extensive destruction of people's lives among other things. _This_ was big enough. With that decision made, Kara went to bed. Tomorrow, though… Tomorrow was a big day, hopefully. After the rollercoaster of misunderstandings and the probably hard conversation she'll have with Lena when she shows her the picture, Kara decided it wasn't the right time to ask her out, but the perfect time to show her support and how she cared for Lena no matter what. _Maybe I shouldn't show her the picture. What good would it do? No matter that, call her tomorrow to make sure she's free._

Kara's on her desk, happily tapping on her table as she rings Lena. It rings a few times and Lena answers.

"Kara?" Lena's voice is full of cautious surprise. After last night, she didn't expect Kara to call any time soon, if at all.

"Lena! How are you?" _Maybe you should say you're sorry for being rude last night?_

"I'm… I'm fine, Kara. What is it?" _What? Why is she sounding all happy again? Did she forget last night?_

"Nothing. Actually, no." _What?_ "I am sorry. I'm sorry for the way I acted last night." _No way. She's… she's apologizing?_ "It's… There's a lot going on. For both of us, apparently." Lena hums in agreement. "So… I'm sorry for being rude and, well, y'know. I should be less hard headed, but I can't always help it. And I should stop and listen before punching my way through everything."

"It's alright, Kara. Thank you for apologising. I'm glad you're no longer pissed, though I don't really know how _that_ happened." _Don't mention Winn, Kara. Don't mention him._ "And if you weren't so hard headed, I wouldn't see you half as often as I do and _that_ would be a shame. But listening is definitely than just punching." Kara's mind just goes _!_ 'cause Lena said it'd be a shame not to see her, and then _But punching is fun._

"Yea, well…" Kara says sheepishly, blushing and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "Um, about the being pissed, Winn helped me out." _Udol Kara!_

"That's very nice. I knew there was something I liked about him." Kara chuckles, which makes Lena smile. "I'm sorry to rush this, but I have a meeting in 10 minutes and I _need_ to finish preparing for it. Without Kate here, these men can be a little bit less malleable. Is there any particular reason you called? Don't get me wrong, I love it when you call me. But I really have to go." _Niiiice, Lena! Really smooth._ Lena grunts internally. On the other end Kara was _bursting_ 'cause _OH GOOD RAO SHE LOVES IT WHEN I CALL HER I'M GOING TO CALL HER EVERYDAY. Calm down, she probably didn't mean it like that. She's stressed and as her only friend in National City you're a good break from all of it_. Kara takes a deep breath to calm down.

"Yea, well, I called firstly to apologize and secondly 'cause Iwannaknowareyoufreetonight?"

"Um, what? If I'm-"

"Free. Tonight. After work. For dinner. Or whatever." _Dammit, it's so much easier to say it when it's just Winn pretending to be her._ "Just like you asked last night. But tonight."

"Alright, come to L Corp and I'll take us wherever you want."

"Deal!"

"Actually, what about that pizza place nobody knows about? With all this thing going with Wayne Enterprises, I'd like a bit more privacy." Kara sighs. _She doesn't know the half of it_.

"I absolutely think you should definitely get lots of privacy." Lena frowns a bit because Kara said that a bit oddly. "How about we go to my place instead? And order some pizza? Nobody cares about my place. No one's gonna look for you there. Hopefully."

"Uh, yea. Sounds good. Is everything okay?"

"What? Here? At work? Definitely. Everything is fine. No scandals. No trouble at work."

"O-kay. I'll drop it now 'cause I need to go, but I'll ask about it later." _No, no. Please, Lena. Don't make me talk to you about it_.

"Haha, sure. Bye then."

"Bye."

"Good luck!" And Kara hangs up before Lena can thank her. Kara grunts. _Well, that could've been worse._

Lena stares at her phone for a moment trying to figure what's going on with Kara. _Something related to scandals. Probably that she's trying to keep from getting to the papers. Stop. No time for that right now._ And Lena grabs her tablet and calls Jess for them to go over some main points.

 _Alright, time to go tell James I got his article._ Kara is almost at James office when Snapper stops her.

"You're backing out of the _Luthor_ story? Is this a joke? She's all you write about and now you just back out?" Snapper says. Kara doesn't look at him, she keeps her eyes focused on a spot on a desk close to her. And then he adds crudely, "What is it? Did it break your heart that she prefers a _superhero_ to you, a simple, barely started reporter." _I could throw him to the moon. Kara no. Yes I can. Yes you can, but you may not._ "I'm not really a fan of gossip, but if you were waiting for something to boom your career, this was it. And you won't even give it to someone else now that you don't want it." Kara sighs and looks at him. _I can blow him up. Kara no._

"You see, Snapper, I became a reporter to report the _truth_ to everyone out there. The _important_ things. _That_ isn't reporting. There's a picture and nothing else. There are no news there. There's just gossip. And I'm not going to waste my talents on gossip, specially when it's about my friend. Lena, like any of us, has a right to her privacy and personal life and I'm not going to be the one to expose it." And with that Kara walks away, slamming her shoulder against Snapper's on her way to James' office. _Oh, if only Winn was still here so he could've witnessed that. I have to go tell him later._ "James! I found it!" Kara beams at him. James is clearly surprised; he was expecting for it to take little bit longer. "Here!" She drops the papers she got with all the info she could get on Wayne Enterprises and L Corp negotiations. "I haven't interviewed Lena yet. Or Ms. Kane, for that matter. But this is big enough. This can replace the Lena/Supergirl news, right?" James is glossing over the info and images. He looks at her with wide eyes, impressed she actually managed it in less than a day.

"Big enough? Kara this is bigger! And way better. I rather us talking about this than gossiping about a Luthor." It stings Kara a bit that James referred to Lena as 'a Luthor', but he approved! He said it was even _better_! "Well, done Kara. Now there's _no_ way they can go at you for dumping the gossip. Nice one. I knew you'd find something." They smile fondly at each other.

"Thanks."

"You think you can get an interview with Kate Kane? I thought she had left already."

"Oh, she did. But if I can get some words in from her it'd be nice. Then we get a view point from both companies."

"Good thinking. Now go show them how it's done." Kara beams and leaves to start working on her article.

With the prospect of seeing Lena after work the day flew by and before Kara noticed, it was time to go to the DEO. Kara flies to the DEO beaming all the way and finds Mon-El and Winn in their usual place.

"... and I'm not going to be the one to expose it. BOOM!" Kara pretends to drop the mic. Mon-El just sits there with a smile on his face while Winn cracks up.

"Oh boy. You better slay it on your article or Snapper is gonna give you a _lot_ of crap for this." Winn says, the ghost of laughter still on his face.

"I know." Kara keeps on smiling.

"I'm sorry, Kara. But like, you made such a fuss about it last night and it made me soooo curious."

"You want to see the picture?" Kara sighs.

"Only if you want to show me. I'm just, you said you took her out and that was it. I don't really see anything scandalous about it. You've flown carrying people several times."

"Yea but those were emergencies cases, not a stressful day case. It's Supergirl showing she cares more about one specific individual than everyone, which would only put her in more danger."

"Like with Cat."

"Yea, but Cat- It was different with her…"

"Of course. I know. So, how's your article coming along?"

"It's fine… Alright, I'll show you the picture!"

"What? You don't have to."

"Yes I do. You're my best friend and this is consuming me. It's such a nice picture, but I _hate_ it because of all the hell it means." Kara moves Winn aside by hitting his chair with her hip and plugs the usb in his computer as Mon-El drifts away, knowing this was meant just for Winn to see. "It's safe here, right?" _Maybe I should've asked before plugging it in…_

"Duh." Kara looks around. No one is looking. Mon-El is distracted playing minesweeper - Winn is making him play lots of the old games.

"Alright, here." Kara opens the image and it loads full screen, so she stands strategically blocking the view to the screen from where Alex could walk in. Winn wheels himself closer and looks at his screen.

"Damn." Winn raises his eyebrows. "This is a nice picture, even with the weird angle."

"I know." Kara pouts.

"It looks like you're about to kiss." Kara smacks his head. "Ouch! It does! And that's why you're trying to stop it from getting to the press."

"I know. Buuuut!" Kara plugs the usb out. Winn raises his eyebrows waiting for her to continue. "We're having dinner tonight."

"Supergirl and Lena?" Winn asks confused.

"No, you dummy! _Me_ and Lena. We're going to my apartment and ordering pizza."

"Is she sleeping over?" Kara's face just goes all red.

"Winn!" She smacks him again.

"What?! I just asked. I didn't imply anything by it! I meant it as in _sleeping_ like having a nice long nap." Kara exhales, closing her eyes, hoping for her face to cool down.

"I don't know if she's staying over. I'd rather that. With the Wayne/L Corp thing going on and this guy taking this picture, all eyes are set on her. I know James said he made sure the source wouldn't give that picture to anyone else, but what if they do? What if the source that gave us this isn't the primary source?"

"Kara, you need to calm down. I'll talk to James and see if I can track it, if you want me to. What you do need to do is tell Lena because if it does get to the press she's gonna start getting a _lot_ of proabably unwanted attention, and she needs to be prepared."

"Prepared for what?" Alex's voice comes from behind them as she walks in.

"Me." Kara says immediately.

"We got a new bad guy around? I didn't hear anything."

"No." Winn says and looks at Kara. "We were talking about Lena. They're having dinner tonight."

"Oh," Alex raises an eyebrow at Kara, smirking a little. "Nice."

"It's- It's not like that." Both Winn and Alex grunt.

"She'll die of old age if she waits for you to make a move." Alex says.

"Hey! It's complicated. It's not like she's doing much to help me out."

"Yea, you're both doing it wrong." Winn says.

"Well, I'm gonna go before you two bum me out."

"Are you going tomorrow night?"

"Of course! It's tradition. Bye." Kara waves and flies off, but not before hearing what Alex says.

"Good luck on your not-date!"

Lena brings her phone up to her ear.

"Hello, Ms. Kane." Lena says in a serious, low tone.

"Hello, Ms. Luthor. How do you do?" Kate answers with the same tone. A beat goes in silence… they burst out laughing. "Gosh, Lena. You're a dork. How was the meeting?

"As if _you_ weren't an absolute geek. It was good, they agreed to all of the terms of our contract."

"Yes! I told you you'd do fine in the meeting!"

"Yea. I never know if they agree because they _actually_ agree, or because they're scared 'cause their boss is a Luthor."

"Believe me, Lena, you don't need a name to be intimidating." They both laugh, glad for the familiarity in all of it.

"I still can't believe it took me so long to recognize you."

"Same here. I mean how could you forget _this_ face?"

"Oh, shut up Katie." Kate laughs.

"Well, I'm glad things are working out and that we could meet after so many years. I missed you." Kate says still laughing a bit.

"Yea, me too…"

"Oh, oh! What about the girl? Kara, you said?"

"Yea, Kara. She called me earlier to see if we could have dinner tonight."

"Oooh someone's getting laid! And I promise I'll try, from now on, to not be as flirty when I'm there." Lena scoffs.

"Oh my god, Kate. It's not like _that_ with her. And who are you kidding? Like you'd ever be able to keep it in your pants." Kate scoffs.

"I know, I know. You have _feelings_ with this one and that's _scary_. The keyword was _try_ , o-kay? Oh! I'll let you know when we get enough data on the prototypes too see how they're working. Bruce should get them tomorrow." Lena ignores the first part. _I am not talking about_ _ **feelings**_ _right now._

"Alright. I'm gonna go now. Finishing up the last contract! It's full of bullshit, as expected."

"Alright. Yea, I hate it. Talk to you later."

"Bye!" Once they hang up, Lena goes back to reviewing the contract.

Kara is fast walking in and stops at Jess' desk.

"Hey!" Kara beams at her, grinning. Jess looks up at her startled.

"Kara! You're here. And not upset?"

"Yea, we sorted things out. Kinda. Well, still need to like talk it _all_ out. But we're good."

"Alright… So you're feeling better. Everything going well?"

"Yea, work has been… a bit stressful this last couple of days. But all is good."

"Good. Are you waiting for Lena? You wanna go in? I'm actually surprised you didn't just drop a snack on my desk and walked in."

"Oh, yea I'm just waiting for her. She knows I'm here. I sent her a text."

"Oh, wow! You actually told someone you were coming. I'm impressed." Kara smiles sheepishly.

"Yea, well…"

"Well, she has a business dinner in a couple of hours so-"

"What? She didn't say anyth-"

"Hey, I'm ready. Let's go?" Lena walks out putting her leather jacket on. "Jess, you're still here?"

"Ms. Luthor, you have a business dinner in a couple of hours…"

"Shit. I forgot. Umm," Kara looks attentively at Lena with the hint of a pout forming on her lips, as the latter looked at her hands while thinking. "Call them. Tell them I can't make it. It's still like two hours away, so they can't say I was rude. I cancelled within an appropriate time span."

"Alright. I'll let them know."

"And then go home, okay? Or go partying, have some drinks, read book. Do you, but get a break. After this week, we all need a break."

"We do. You two have fun tonight." Kara beams at her as Lena smiles brightly. They walk out of the building.

"You're okay riding a bike, right? 'Cause if not, I can go get the car. It'd take like 15 minutes, maybe 20. 10 if I speed it up."

"No, bike is fine." Lena smiles at her.

"Alright." She goes through the whole unlocking the bike process, hands Kara her extra helmet, puts her own on after slipping her gloves on. Lena gets on her bike, adjusts it under her and starts it. Kara just stands there looking at Lena flowing through every step. "Get on."

"Right." Kara gets on the bike and sits a bit awkwardly behind Lena.

"You can hold onto me, Kara." Kara slides her arms around Lena's waist and accidentally bumps her helmet against Lena's.

"Sorry."

"It's alright. You ready?"

"Yea." And Lena drives away. After a few minutes on the ride Kara starts feeling more comfortable and lets her body melt against Lena's. Her arms holding Lena tight without fear, her torso against Lena's back with no self-consciousness, her legs now pressed against Lena's more comfortably rather than gripping for balance. And then Kara looks around. _Huh, she's taking the long way home._ Lena smiles the _whole_ ride to Kara's house. Riding her bike was absolutely one of her best moments, but riding her bike with _Kara_ holding her like she wasn't ever upset with her? Kara's body fitting perfectly against hers, the warmth, the thrill. It felt too good. Lena could spend a whole day just doing that. Once they get there, Kara notices she would've liked Lena to take an even longer way home 'cause just being there holding Lena, the rush of the bike, the cold wind and the warmth of Lena, it was all so… Kara reluctantly releases her hold on Lena and gets off the bike. She takes her helmet off and watches Lena get off the bike when a thought starts bugging her.

"Hey, um, if you can't stay…" Lena leaves her helmet aside and steps towards Kara, who goes silent.

"Kara…" She grabs Kara's helmet from her hands and puts it next to her own before holding both of Kara's hands with her. Lena looks at Kara's eye, "Did you see me telling Jess to cancel the business dinner?" Kara nods, blushing under Lena's gaze. "Then I don't have to go. Unless, of course, _you_ want me to." Lena smiles and that makes Kara smile too.

"I don't want you to go. And we have stuff to talk about."

"Oh, really?" She smirks at Kara, making the latter stumble with her words.

"You can bring your stuff up."

"Oh, thanks. I really rather _that_ than leaving my stuff here, even if chained to my baby here."

"You call your bike your baby?" Kara chuckles a bit.

"Well, of course I do. She's my baby bike. She's very new and I'm the one that tunes her up. It's like I've raised her. Plus, she's the only familiar thing I had with me when I got here. Well, her and Eddie." Kara smiles sweetly at that and they go up to Kara's apartment.

They're sitting on Kara's dining table, chatting as Kara eats the second pizza by herself and Lena sips on some milkshake they made with the ice cream Kara hadn't eaten yet.

"So… How was your date? I never got the chance to ask."

"It was good."

"So, you're gonna see them again?"

"What? No. I told you-No big deal. I had fun, but that was it. And my date felt the same way, so it's all good."

"Oh, um, cool."

"Are you working on anything right now? Or haven't found anything to write about after that _very_ nice article on me?"

"Oh, you have no idea. My original draft, according to Snapper, made you sound 'wholesome'."

"Oh! I _definitely_ wanna read it now." Kara blushes as Lena's smile grows

"I'll send it to you. And I am working on something, actually."

"Thank you. What is it about?"

"Uh… well, to no one's surprise, it's a bit about you. I mean, it kinda _had_ to be about you." Lena raises an eyebrow. "Yea, um, that's one of the things I wanted to tell you about. Like, it all happened so quick. Everyone's so stressed. There's so much going on and-"

"Kara." Lena stretches out a hand towards Kara, but one of Kara's hand is on her lap and the other holding an almost finished slice of pizza. So Lena goes for her wrist, she presses it for reassurance. "One thing at a time, alright? Tell me what you're writing about, then why you're writing it and so on. We're here to relax, right? Hang out."

"Yea," Kara smiles, "quality time."

"Exactly. So, step by step."

"Ok." Kara thinks of telling her she's sort of leaving the beginning for the end 'cause she wants to soften the blow, but decides to just do it like Lena said: Step by step. Not 'from the beginning'. "I'm writing about the negotiations for the Wayne Enterprises and L Corp partnership. Two of the most famous families, for a world of different reasons, joining forces in a rather public way."

"There isn't much of anything public about it. We have made no announcements, press conferences or such. All they have are pictures of Kate and I eating in restaurants with a bunch of white old men and of us discussing contract terms. They haven't asked for one direct quote from us. Just pictures."

"I mean, you two look like models, walking down the street with your trenchcoats, discussing paperwork, looking like you live in a golden castle. Who doesn't wanna look successful like that? So it'd definitely sell." Lena scoffs rolling her eyes, but smiles despite herself. "You're right though. Pictures are all they got. That's why I'd like to take you up on that offer you made, of giving me an interview."

"Alright."

"But not now. I meant on like a later date."

"Oh, this is a date now?" Kara's face goes so red that if this were a comic, there'd be smoke coming off her cheeks. She wants to say _yes this a date,_ but nothing comes out of her mouth when she opens it. "I know what you meant." That helps Kara's heart beat begin its descent, but it doesn't do much for her face. _It could be if you'd just girl the hell up and ask her. This is_ _ **not**_ _the time. Ugh._

"Well, if you get bored later on, I can always interview you tonight."

"Hmmm, I do tend to have fun with our interviews… but not half as much as when you're…" _some part of,_ "you." Lena's smiling softly and Kara sheepishly.

"Um, well, alright. So. Yea, that's what I'm writing about. By the way, how is it all going? The meetings, contracts… Kate?"

"Pretty good, actually. Very stressful, but Kate and I make a great team. With the right preparation for the meetings, we can get them to do almost anything. They do offer a lot of things they shouldn't. That's why we spend so much time reviewing contracts. Making sure there are no loopholes and shit like that."

"Cool. Yea, that's important. It's good that you and Kate can make a good team. Better to have an ally than one more enemy. You did hit it off right away, huh? It's funny, for someone you just met."

"Oh, no. I've known Kate for a years now. Yes, when you saw her the first time, I had no idea it was her. I new the face looked familiar, the name too, but it took me a while to recognize that was _Kate_. Same for her." Lena laughs remembering. "She called me later like, 'Sorry if I'm wrong, but you're _Lena_ Luthor, right? Like, _Lena_ Lena? Dork Lena from boarding school? Spent too many holidays there?'" Lena makes an impression of Kate's soft voice. "And then it clicked why she looked so fucking familiar. We were good friends back then, and picked it up right where we left it off. Only difference is we're older and with way more responsibilities. I'm just so glad to have a friend back. Like, your my friend, but Kate is important to me too. Like you, she was there for me, believing in me, when no one else would."

"That's nice. Um, did you two- are you two like…" Lena raises an eyebrow waiting for Kara to finish though she knew where it was going. "Are you two like dating or something?" _What?!_ Is Lena's first thought and she frowns, then starts laughing.

"Oh god, no! Kara, definitely not dating Kate. She's just really flirty with like _everyone_. I love her but definitely not like that." Kara feels her whole body sighing in relief. She cleans her hands on a napkin and holds Lena's hand.

"Oh, okay. No matter that, I'm glad you have her back in your life. It's good to have people that you know support you in your life."

"You're sure about that?" Lena is already smirking and Kara scoffs.

"Of course! I mean, she _is_ a little intimidating, but she's your friend and she's supporting you and siding with you against a bunch of rude entitled dudes. I bet if I actually met her properly I would like her." Lena laughs.

"Alright. Alright. Hopefully not too much. So, are we going to the next step? Why do you _have_ to write about this?"

"Right." _Breath in. Breath out._ "So, back at CatCo we got info for something that everyone wanted to write about. On you. And, since the majority of articles on you from CatCo are by me, James said that if anyone should do it, it should be me. But then I saw what it was about and got really, like, _not_ okay with it. And refused to do it because no. So James told me that if I didn't write on that I had to find something big to replace it with 'cause everyone's on his neck to get their hands on it. So that's why I _have_ to write this. Not only because I think it's really cool and deserves attention. Your companies joining forces can open so many doors for a better future for _everyone_. But if I don't do a good job on it, hell's gonna rain on me for depriving their greedy little hands of, of, _that_."

"I'm very glad that you see so much good coming from L Corp's partnership with Wayne Enterprises, but what's the juicy intell you guys got on me? Honestly, now at days you can google basically anything and find it."

"Well, I was like debating if I should or shouldn't tell you about it 'cause you're under a lot of stress and a lot of pressure and-"

"Okay, Kara. First, you pretty much already told me about it, so no point in hiding it. Second, if it's about _me_ , I'm pretty sure I have the right to know about it." Kara stares at her for a beat.

"You're right. Okay, um, I'll get my laptop to show you. It's in here." Kara grabs the usb from her purse and waves it at Lena. Kara sits on the couch with Lena beside her. She turns her laptop on plugs in the usb and opens the image. And there it is. Them holding each other and looking like there's nothing else but them in the whole world. Kara's is trying not to breath too much as if it would scare Lena away, and she looks at her to see her reaction. Lena is looking at the image, a smile starts forming.

"That's a nice picture, despite the awful angle." _Why is everyone commenting the angle?_ Lena laughs throwing her head back. "This is what had you so worked up?" Kara is dumbstruck. "What? Got jealous? If this the worse they can do, there's nothing to worry about."

"What?! But Lena, if this gets published you'd…"

"What, be in more danger? Kara, _Luthor_ is my last name. My own brother, who's in maximum security tried to kill me and got pretty close. A _very_ cute picture of Supergirl taking me to get some fresh air isn't gonna do more damage than that. I'm not gonna say I'd love having magazines gossiping about me, but that'd be it. Gossip. They have no idea why she's there, what we did or what we talked about. They'd have nothing and would get nothing. So, it's nothing really." Lena says her laugh still clinging to her lips.

"You really think that?"

"Yea, Kara. You don't need to worry about me. I can take care of myself." Kara unplug her usb.

"Do you want it?"

"No. You keep it. Seems like you rather like it. And you clearly want to keep it safe." Lena chuckles and shakes her. _She's so cute_.

"Well, since my laptop is on, you want me to show that original draft of my article now?"

"Ooh, yes please." Kara opens it and hands her the laptop to Lena. She sits back, leaning on the other end of the couch, as she watches Lena go through the article. She chuckles sometimes, but the more she reads the brighter the spark in her eyes grow, and the wider her smile gets. At the end Lena's almost blushing and her eyes slightly teary. She looks up at Kara, who bites her lower lip waiting for Lena's thoughts on it. "You… you really think _all that_ about _me_?" And there's a fire burning inside her ready to burst out. And not the good kind, but for now Lena has it under control.

"Yea." Kara nods smiling.

"I- this is how you want everyone to see me?"

"Yea, that's how everyone _should_ see you. You're amazing, Lena. And people should know that. All they see is a Luthor, but really, you're so much more." Lena puts the laptop on the coffee table, moves closer to Kara on the couch, grabs her by her shirt and pulls her up and closer. Kara squeaks in surprise, but as soon as Lena's arms wrap around her, she relaxes and hugs Lena back. Lena rests her chin on Kara's shoulder and tries to ignore the turmoil inside her because _there's no way she actually thinks all that about me. She sees so much good, so much hope._ And it's overwhelming for someone to just see her in such a pure way.

"Thank you, Kara." Lena wants to say more but the words are clogged in her throat and nothing comes out. Kara hums and pulls back to look at Lena.

"You're welcome. But that is what I think. There's no lies there. And I think it's important for you to know that all the good you do and are doesn't go by unnoticed." Lena rests one of her hands on Kara's cheek, caressing it. She shakes her head as if to get rid of a thought and leans in leaving a kiss on Kara's cheek. When she leans back Kara's looking a bit flustered but doesn't say anything. And then Lena sees it, right where she kissed Kara.

"Oh, I left a bit of lipstick on your cheek." Lena holds Kara's chin, tilting her face a bit to the side to start cleaning it up with her thumb?

"Again?"

"What do you mean 'again'?"

"Every time you've kissed my cheek you left a lipstick smudge there."

"Oh, well, let's say it's something for you to remember me by. There."

"I don't need lipstick to remember you, Lena." They smile at each other. "Oh, I'm gonna get some ice cream!" Kara gets up.

"Alright…" _Don't do anything stupid. Like kissing her. Or staying over._

"Do you want to continue watching Parks and Rec?"

"Yea, sure." Kara drops next to her and hands Lena a spoon for her to share a bucket of M&M's ice cream. "You got _more_ ice cream?"

"Well, the ones I bought for you are almost over and I _really_ like this one." Lena sighs, smiling.

"Alright." And they start eating it as they watch the show. After a while both have ditched their shoes. Lena has a lot of fun just watching Kara eating the ice cream because she's never seen anyone eat so much so fast. They start chatting about anything really, what was highschool like for them. Kara tries to get Lena to open up about it, but Lena keeps everything very vague, even the stuff about Kate. Kara tries to get her to talk about her childhood, but in the end she's sort of glad Lena didn't open up about that because then it'd bring up Kara's childhood and that would bring her parents to the table and Krypton and all the stuff she's _not_ supposed to talk about. And then Kara notices Lena has brought her knees up against her chest, hugging her legs and shivering a bit.

"Hey, you okay?" Kara asks leaving the half eaten ice cream aside. Lena nods.

"Just a bit cold. Had too much ice cream."

"Oh. I'll get you something." Kara goes get something for Lena.

"You don't have to. It's just a chill and I brought my ja-" A hoodie hits Lena on the face.

"A 'thank you' would've been enough." Kara says smirking. Lena gives her a side smile.

"Alright then, Ms. Danvers. Thank you." And she slips the hoodie on, blocking her impulse to smell it. They go back to watching the show. After a while, Kara takes the now empty ice cream bucket to trash it. She comes back to the couch and returns to watch the show; sits with one leg stretched over the couch and one bent over as she leans on the couch. When she looks at Lena again, she stays looking. The scenes on the TV reflecting on her green eyes; those eyes that make Kara feel that somehow she _knows_ the truth because they pierce their way right to her soul. Her jaw line, her eyelashes meeting every other second, her lips slightly parted as she pays attention to the show. She's still hugging her legs, but not as tightly and it seems she's still cold.

"Come here." Kara says, almost entranced. Kara taps on the spot between her legs on the couch and opens her arms for Lena. Lena, on her end of the couch, raises her eyebrows in surprise, lips still parted and eyes wide. But then she scoots over and tucks herself against Kara, letting herself be hugged, and soon she's appreciating the warmth of being so close. The long hours of work and emotional running around start to weigh on her eyes as soon as Kara's warmth settles on her skin. Kara smiles once she feels Lena grow heavy and relaxed on her, her breathing becoming deeper. _About time. We've been here for hours. I'm impressed it took her this long to fall asleep. She really needs it_. Kara accommodates herself against a pillow, turns the tv off and concentrates on Lena's heartbeat until her own eyes grow heavy with sleep.

When Lena wakes up, she finds herself wrapped in Kara's arms, face hidden on her neck and it's so nice and warm and comfortable. And then the smell hits her - cinnamon and sunshine. But this time it isn't veiled, it's clear and Lena _knows_. This is the same smell of Supergirl and the reason because it felt strangely familiar when she hugged the Kryptonian was that that's what she smells every time Kara is close, every time they hug, every time she leaves a kiss on Kara's cheek. Lena moves her head back and now Kara's lips are right _there_. _Too close. Too close._ Lena's heartbeat starts accelerating and she feels the fire growing, burning, the anxiety building up and trying to take over. As soon as that starts, Kara wakes up startled by the sudden acceleration of Lena's heartbeat.

"Lena? What is it?" Kara sits up bringing Lena with her, who ends up practically on Kara's lap. _Too close. Too close. Too close._ The phrase keeps on repeating itself and Lena no longer knows if it's on physical or emotional terms.

"I- I- I have to go."

"What? Lena-" Lena gets up.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I have to go." Lena slips into her heels quickly, then her jacket. Kara follows her.

"Lena, no. Why can't you stay?" Lena stops what she's doing and stares at Kara, the weight of her gaze keeps Kara in place. Kara sees Lena's scared, she's angry and she's fighting, with who Kara had no idea.

"I have to go." She grabs her helmet and walks out.

"Lena, what's going on?" Kara runs after her and catches up down the hallway.

"Lena, wait. Lena!" She holds Lena by her wrist, making her stop walking. "Lena, please. Tell me what's going on." Lena turns to her, angry.

"What's going on? Why don't you tell me what going on?"

"What? Why can't you just open up to me?" Lena almost laughs.

"You want me to tell what's going on? Alright. This is what's going on. You're asking me to open up. To tell you what's going on with me. You're asking me to _trust_ you, Kara. When _you_ ," Lena pushes one of Kara's shoulder, "won't even do it yourself! It's not okay Kara! You can't expect someone to open up and give you everything, when you're not willing to do the same." Lena spins on her heels and walks out. Kara stands there and then the roar of Lena's bike racing away wakes her from her daze. She walks back to her apartment and sits on her couch, burying her face in her hands. _Uuurgh, what am I going to do?_

About 10 minutes later, Lena's walking into her apartment. Eddie comes running to her, meowing, rubbing himself on her feet, sensing there's something wrong. Lena pics him up to hug him and kiss him on the top of his head.

"Not now Eddie." She puts him back on the floor and Eddie gives her space but doesn't leave her side. Lena kicks her heels off and her jacket and goes to her room. Her phone starts vibrating. _Kara Danvers_. She rejects the call. And then another. And then a third. She pulls her pants off, pulls her bra from under her shirt and slips under her covers and starts looking through her contacts. _Please answer. Ugh. She's probably working her night shift. Please be there_.

"Hello?" And the sound of her voice makes Lena feel like she doesn't need to be strong by herself anymore.

"Kate!" And Lena starts crying. She tells her everything that happened. The cute part, Kara being jealous, Kara worrying about her, Kara thinking she's basically one of the best people in the world, Kara hugging her, cuddling her. And then the anxiety attack, her bursting out, her not being able to keep it in check this time. "I can't do this Kate. I can't."

"Hey, hey. No, you can pull it off, c'mon Lena."

"No. It hurts. I don't want to do this. I don't want to keep on trusting people that won't do the same for me. It never goes well. It shouldn't work like that. I don't know why she can't just tell me the truth."

"Oh, I know it hurts, baby. We are both very aware and familiar with pain. And that's not how it works when it works properly. But you need to understand her side too. She's scared too. For the same reason she doesn't open up, you don't either. You're both scared of giving and not receiving what you should, when you're both eager to give." Lena sniffs, Kate's voice soothing her a bit. "Are you calmer now?"

"Yea. I just. I fucking hate this. I started getting anxious and suddenly everything's too much and I'm-"

"I know, I know. It's okay. You're okay."

"Thank you, Kate."

"You're welcome, darling. Do you know what you want to do next?"

"I think I have a few things planned out." Kate hums for her to continue. "I'll call her and we meet up for coffee or something and we talk. I'll explain, try to explain. We need to smooth things out. She wants me to open up, I want her to open up. We just need to be patient until each feels ready."

"That's my girl. Calming down and thinking things over. Oh fuck! I gotta kick some ass, babe. See ya. HARLEY STOP DOI-" and the call ends. It had been years since she felt like she could call someone any time for help. _Thanks Kate_. Kara calls again and this time Lena answers.

"Lena! Are you alright? You're home safe?"

"Hey, Kara. Yea, yea. I- I'm sorry. I-"

"No, it's alright. You have nothing to be sorry for. You're right, Lena. And I'm sure you have your reasons, just like I have mine, for not opening up just like that. But you left so upset I was afraid something happened."

"Do you wanna have some coffee tomorrow? I'll try not to blow up on your face. We can talk then."

"I'd love that. After lunch? And you can blow up on my face, metaphorically, if that's what you need to."

"Sure. And no, Kara. That's not what I need. I need. I need to be okay with you. No more misunderstandings."

"Yea. No more misunderstandings. Great, then! I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you." The call ends and they both try to sleep without much success.

Kara wakes up. She gets up and makes some pancakes, coffee. She's eating when she notices Lena left her extra helmet there. _Gotta remember to bring it today._

Lena gets up and slides off her bed and there's the faint smell of cinnamon and sunshine. Lena looks around. Nothing. She goes to the glass door to her balcony, no one. Lena brings her hand up to her lips trying to figure out why Kara's scent is all around her. The moment her hand gets close to her face the smell gets stronger and she looks down. _Oh, of course. I forgot to give her hoodie back_. But Lena keeps it pressed against her nose for just a little longer.

Lena's sitting on a table at the cafe Kara and her decided to meet at, Kara's hoodie on her lap. They agreed to meet between 3 and 3:15. Kara was 15 minutes late. Lena taps on the table as she slowly sips a cup of water.

"On a saturday morning? Really?! Didn't you have something better to do than get your ass kicked by me? Have ice cream? Take a walk on a park? Don't rob hard working people." Kara locks the woman's arm behind her and knees the back of her knee making her fall on her knees. "Alex, can you handle this? I _really_ need to go." Alex handcuffs the man she had on his knees to a pole and goes get the woman Kara took care of.

"Sure, go ahead. The police is almost here."

"Thanks." And Kara flies off superspeeding.

"Hey!" Kara practically runs into the cafe, helmet hanging from an elbow. Lena looks up, her whole face brightens at the sight of Kara. "I'm so sorry I'm late. I was… taking care of business." Kara walks over and wants to kiss Lena on the cheek but after last night she decides to just sit across from her. "Brought your helmet!" She shows it to Lena.

"Hey. Brought your hoodie." Lena smiles back and hangs it on two fingers stretching her arm towards Kara, who grabs it smiling softly. Kara orders a mocha and a pastry and Lena asks for a cappuccino.

"Did you manage to get any sleep?"

"Wearing this hoodie? Absolutely. It's super comfortable." Lena says with a soft smirk.

"Oh," Kara blushes at the mental image of Lena in bed with _her_ hoodie. "It's my favorite." And if it wasn't her favourite before, it definitely would be after this. Lena raises an eyebrow, her smirk becoming sharper.

"You lent me your _favourite_ hoodie. Now I'm definitely flattered." Kara smiles sheepishly, tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear and sips her mocha to hide her blush. "That and the article you wrote. You're spoiling me, Kara."

"No, I am not!" Kara scoffs still blushing. Lena takes a sip of her cappuccino and becomes rather serious.

"As much as I love teasing you, we do need to talk."

"Right. Look, I'm sorry for pushing too much. It's just that you looked so-" Kara doesn't even know what word to use. _Scared? Infuriated?_ The truth was, what had Kara so worried the previous night is that Lena's heartbeat went wild in seconds for no apparent reason and Kara couldn't figure what was going on. "I wanted to help and I should've gone about it in a different way."

"Kara… look I." Lena takes a deep breath. "We all have our issues. And I'm sorry I let mine take me over. I usually have everything under control but last night… I don't know. I guess being worn out by the week made me more… _vulnerable_." And Kara could hear under Lena's voice she hated it.

"Lena, it's okay."

"Just as it's okay for you to worry and want to figure things out." Kara nods. "We just need to… learn how to chill the fuck out." Kara chuckles making Lena smile.

"Yea. I'll try to give you more space, but I want you to know you can trust me. I'm you're friend, right? I'm here for you. Always." Lena feels her defenses building up and takes a deep breath. _If she keeps on being sweet I'll have to ask for two Irish coffees, all for myself. Calm down. Everything is okay._

"I know, Kara. And I hope you know you can trust me too."

"Of course, Lena." Kara says smiling and reaches for Lena's hand. Lena hesitates for a moment but then she meets Kara's hand halfway.

"So… I think that since there are _things_ you're not ready to tell me and I have a hard time opening up, we should give each other time. Like you said trying not to push the other and wait until we're ready to open up." Kara thought of what that meant. And what Lena meant exactly by it. "I'm not saying we should take a break from each other, just that we can take things at whatever pace we need to.:

"Exactly. It's a deal then." Lena smiles and squeezes Kara's hand. "So, every saturday night we, me, Alex, Winn, Mike, James, go to this bar. It's a special bar. It's sort of tradition to go on Saturday. You wanna come?"

"Oh, you're inviting me to something that is tradition for you and your friends?"

"Yea."

"Oh, um. Yes, I'd love to. Wait, you said every Saturday night? You're saying you cancelled tradition to be with me?"

"Well…" Kara blushes. _I'm ordering that Irish coffee. They better have good whisky._

"And I left for a date I didn't really care about." _what the fuck_. Lena shakes her head. _I'm an ass._ "Kara, you should've told me."

"Oh, please. And make you cancel your date? No w-"

"Exactly. If I knew getting a break with me was enough to make you break _tradition_ , I would've done it in a heartbeat."

"Oh, um. I-" _What?_ "I- Really?" Kara feels all fluttery.

"Of course, Kara." And then it's like Lena never left Kara's apartment with her heart stopping her from breathing and her mind in a turmoil.

Kara texts Alex to let her know Lena would be coming. Alex obviously thought that was a bad idea. 'Why would you bring Lena _Luthor_ to a bar full of _aliens_?' 'Because that's where we always go. And there's no point for me to keep on telling her she can trust me and not _showing_ her she can. So opening up my life for her to come in is one way of showing not only that she can trust me, but also that _I_ trust _her_.' 'Great. Beautiful. Really cute Kara. You see, tho, there are _aliens_ there who will recognize her and know she's a _Luthor_.' 'A Luthor that doesn't hate aliens. A Luthor that is trying to make the world better for _everyone_. You'll see, it'll be great. You just need to relax, Alex. And be nice!'

So when it's time, Alex is furiously tapping on the table while drinking her beer.

"They're late." Alex says to no one in particular. James is drinking beer. Mon-El is waiting for his replacement to come since his shift ended and Winn is about to speak.

"No, we're not!" Kara beams, making Winn close his mouth. "C'mon, Lena. You'll see why I said this bar is special." Lena walks in rather timidly, so Kara takes her hand in an attempt to make her feel more comfortable. Really, that only made Lena get goosebumps and get a bit more nervous, though it did give her more confidence. "You already know everyone here, right? But just in case. This is James, Winn, Alex and Mike is back there, but he'll hopefully be here soon."

"Hi." Lena says sitting next to Kara.

"Hey." James says.

"Hey." Alex says and smiles softly at Lena remembering Kara's request to _be nice_.

"Hey, Lena. It's about time Kara brings you here." Winn beams at her. "She talks so much about you, I just wanted you to be part of the crew already."

"Oh, is that so?" Lena turns to Kara smiling, a raised eyebrow. "And what exactly do you say about me?" Kara gapes and shoots a warning look at Winn, blushing a bit. Winn is grinning at her proudly.

"Oh, you know, just how smart you are and how you're amazing. Which we already new, but like, if we were ever to forget, Kara would remind us 'cause she can't shut up about you." When Winn finished everyone, even Mon-El who had just arrived, is smiling widely. And Kara is beet red.

"WINN! Can you not?!" Everyone bursts out laughing. After that, the night softens and is filled with laughter and the feeling that everything would be okay.


	8. Should I Stay Or Should I Go? P1

After that last Saturday when Kara took Lena to the alien dive, they had been having lunch together every day of the week.

It started with Kara showing up on Monday-she wanted to solidify that she _did_ want to be around Lena and that she's 100% willing to make it work the best way possible without pushing her to open up. Lena was happy to see her, as always, taking a bit longer on her lunch break to spend more time with Kara.

Then on Tuesday Kara came again 'cause why not, right? And Lena was delightfully surprised. This lunch doesn't last long because Lena had a meeting, but it's simply _good_.

On Wednesday, Kara comes in as usual, no knocking. And this time Lena is actually surprised; third day in a row? It was unexpected and _what is she trying to do? What is she getting out of this?_ And Lena couldn't figure it out. She knew the excitement making Kara come visit her all the time would probably wear off soon enough.

But then on Thursday, Kara was there for lunch with take out because Lena didn't have time to leave L Corp for lunch and then again on Friday. And Lena… Lena was cautiously happy. How could this be anywhere close to happening? Everything felt great, even though it wasn't precisely what either of them wanted, so Lena was rather ready for something to happen and for the rug get pulled from under her feet.

Saturday went by calmly, Lena got plenty of work done and then it was night and she was thinking of maybe watching a movie when she gets a call from Kara. "Hey, where are you?" See, Kara expected Lena to go to the alien dive, but Lena had no idea that now she was actually part of the tradition or "the crew" or whatever other reason that made Kara _expect_ Lena to come. She was surprised, but then got dressed quickly, hopped on her bike and went there. Really, it was the perfect week.

And then Monday came again. Things were going great. Her partnership was great, knowing that she's not only helping to find new ways to develop surgeries and safer lab experiments and many other things that'd just make life for _everyone_ better, but she's also helping Kate and Bruce to improve the Batfamily security performance in Gotham, made it all better. Kate was back in her life, which is absolutely amazing. And there were rumours that S.T.A.R. Labs was thinking of contacting L Corp for a partnership as well. It was great. And then Kara walks in beaming and Lena smiles, her heart clutching itself with warmth. This really was the best week of her life since… well, since Lex decided to go on his evil conquest.

"Heey!" Kara beams walking in. "I didn't know if you would be able to go for lunch so I didn't bring any take out, but I brought snacks 'cause I know you have the tendency to work late nights and forget to eat." Lena gets up and walks to Kara to hug her.

"Hey. Thanks." Lena grabs the little bag of donuts and sets it on her table. "I can go out for lunch. Anywhere specific you'd like to go to?" Lena asks as she grabs her bag.

"The pizza place?" Lena smiles at the suggestion.

"Perfect."

While they're eating and chatting Lena remembers something she had to tell Kara in case she planned on continuing her daily lunch visits.

"Oh, Kara, on Wednesday Kate's coming so I'll have lunch just with her."

"Oh, that's alright. Can I come any of the other days or…?"

"Yea, absolutely. Tomorrow I won't be able to leave for lunch, but don't bring take out, I'll bring it this time."

"Alright." Kara beams.

"And, if you don't mind, Thursday you can join us for lunch. She wants Wednesday to be a "catching up lunch". She kinda wants to meet you, too. And on Friday there's a business lunch with Mr. Wayne, so no lunch on Friday either." Kara stares at Lena.

"Kate wants to meet me?" _Isn't Kate the only person from Lena's past that she has a good and strong bond with? Oh, no. This is big, isn't it? What if Kate doesn't like me? And like what if I end up as third wheel like- I probably will. They've known each other for so long. And they care so much for each other and like clearly have lots of chemistry. And-_

"Of course she wants to meet you. I might have told her you've been coming to have lunch with me everyday for a week and added me to what practically is family tradition. And let's not get started on me telling her how wonderful and smart you are, so… yea, she wants to meet you, properly, that is." Lena has a wide and rather bashful smile on her lips. Kara just keeps staring but her cheeks start reddening.

"Um… alright then. I- I'd love that." Lena smiles. "And do you think you could come over for dinner on Friday? You'll have to make up for Wednesday and Friday." Lena chuckles.

"Of course. And don't you worry. I'll make up for it." Lena winks playfully.

On Tuesday Kara walks in and Lena isn't at her desk. Kara stops on her tracks and looks around the office to find Lena sitting on a picnic blanket on the empty space of her office. She's sitting there with a cute smile and laid out before her there's an enormous variety of mini sandwiches, pastries, donuts and… _OH, Rao! Potstickers!_ Kara beams, smiling widely.

"Oh my god, Lena. What is this?" She asks as she walks towards Lena.

"I thought it'd be a nice way to make up for not having lunch tomorrow."

"Oh, you didn't have to!"

"I can always eat all of this by myself. Well, try anyways."

"Well, I can't let you do this alone, it'd be evil on my part to do that." Kara says as she sits on the blanket with Lena, both chuckling. They eat and at some point Lena bites into an extra good pastry.

"Oh my god. This is so good." She says while she chews on it. "Do you wanna have a bite?"

"Sure." And Lena stretches her arm, leaning forward a bit to feed Kara. Kara blushes a bit because this isn't the same as Lena feeding her ice cream with a spoon, her fingers are _right there_ , but when the half eaten pastry reaches her, she just takes it with her mouth as delicately as possible.

"Oh! It really is so good!" Kara says while chewing.

"Right!" Lena says leaning back and licks her fingers clean, making Kara's eyes fixate on Lena's lips for a second. That was about as tense as it got for Kara that afternoon. For Lena it wasn't really "tense", but she sure got a kick out of seeing Kara's cheeks getting rosy as her eyes fixated on Lena's fingers as she licked them clean. Kara _insists_ on helping Lena clean up, as Lena _insists_ she can do it herself; eventually Jess walks in and helps the two of them because she grew tired of the two shooting back and forth, "thank you, but you don't have to." "That's nonsense. You don't have time for this, let me help you." A good three minutes of it made Jess get off her desk grunting and walk in Lena's office saying "Can you two be annoyingly cute another time? You have a meeting in 10, Ms. Luthor."

It's Wednesday, Lena's having breakfast before leaving for L Corp when Eddie runs past her meowing and a short couple of seconds after there's a light thud coming from her bedroom. Lena takes one more gulp of her coffee before going to see what it is. _Maybe mum finally sent an assassin after me. Honestly, I'm surprised it took this long._ Lena grabs the metal baseball bat Kate gifted her last time she visited, and goes towards her balcony after seeing her room's empty. And then she sees Eddie sitting in front of the balcony glass door, pawing at it as a crouching Kara, um, Supergirl pretends to poke at him from her side of the glass. Lena rolls her eyes and throws the bat on her bed. _Seriously?! I tell her we can't have lunch today so she comes as Supergirl to see me. What a fucking dork. A very cute dork_. Lena pulls the curtains further apart, opens the balcony door, letting Eddie run outside, and walks out.

"Hi. Um." Kara's eyes drop for a second. Sees Lena's bare pale legs. _Why does she keep on doing this to me?_ And quickly raise her eyes again. "How's everything going?" Supergirl asks and Lena raises an eyebrow at her.

"Everything is going fine. You?"

"All good. Crimes have been pretty low."

"Thanks to you. Any particular reason you came to my apartment? Glad to see you keep patterns such as being unable to come through the front door, though. Also, how do you know I live here?" And Kara loses her Supergirl composure.

"Well, um, okay. First, I've got contacts."

"You mean Kara." Kara stares at Lena for a moment. She clears her throat.

"Second, it's much quicker to just land on your balcony than have to come all the way up in an elevator." Lena rolls her eyes smiling a bit.

"Alright. So why are you here?"

"Oh, first to wish you the best of luck with the partnership with the Waynes. Second, because Kara told me about the picture-"

"Please tell me you're not" _still_ "freaking out about it."

"What? No. Absolutely not. Just that I know that the attention you could get could be nagging and I don't wanna risk any possible enemy of mine to harm you because of me. Also, I don't think your family would be very happy to see you're… so close to an alien."

"They already had their reasons to kill me before the picture, so really, doesn't make much of a difference." That hurts Kara. _Someone like her deserves to be loved. She deserves a circle of supportive loving people. Not- not_ _ **this**_ _._ "But now what? You're gonna stop your weekly visits?"

"What? No! I'm just saying I'll be more… discreet."

"So, no more air-touring the city?"

"Yea, and any stuff like that."

"Shame, I liked the view." Kara smiles at her sweetly.

"Well, I'm glad that you're doing fine. I have to go now." Kara starts hovering, ready to take flight.

"Alright. And Supergirl?"

"Yes?" Kara turns to Lena.

"Send my love to Kara. I won't be able to see her today." Kara nods and flies away, but not before Lena sees that flustered smile bringing a blush to Kara's cheeks.

Later that day, Kate struts in L Corp and stops at Jess' desk. She places a hand on the desk as she leans over to support her weight.

"Hey, Jess." Kate says smiling, keeping her voice always soft.

"Hello, Ms. Kane. Ms. Luthor will be out in a second." Jess feels her cheeks growing hot.

"Yea, yea. Did you enjoy that gift card I got you?"

"Yes, definitely." Jess tries to get her blushing under control, but with Kate's eyes on her it turned out to be very hard.

"And your plus one? Did you enjoy _them_ too? Or would you like _me_ to be your plus one next time so you can _enjoy it better_?" Kate smirks a little.

"I- I- Um, I-" Jess is holding tightly onto her pad.

"Kate, stop trying to get into Jess' pants and let's go eat _food_. Sorry, Jess. One day she'll learn to keep it in _her_ pants." Lena says walking out of her office and walking past them. Kate grunts rolling her eyes, and Jess only hums nervously in response.

"You're no fun. I was just teasing her." Kate says once they're out Jess' earshot, making Lena chuckles shaking her head. "Thai?"

"Thai." Lena answers before getting in the back seat of James' car.

It's Thursday and Kara is waiting nervously for Lena in front of CatCo. She had checked and rechecked her outfit and hairdo several times to make sure it was the best possible. From the little Lena told Kara about her relationship with Kate, she assumed Kate was practically her family, especially now that Lena had no family. So this probably was _big_ and _important_ and Kara _had_ to make the _best impression possible_. Sure, Kate had already seen her before, but they hadn't really met, so this was the time for a proper and real first impression. There's a deep roar and a red Saleen S7 comes into view, it decelerates to a purr and then stops in front of Kara. Kara clutches her bag nervously. If you could describe this car with only one word, I assure you the word would be _sexy_. The door slides up and out steps the one and only Lena Luthor in a black super suit and heels, white silk shirt, lips as red as her car and aviators covering her eyes. Kara feels like the concrete of the sidewalk gave under her feet and now she's stuck. All she manages is to stare and clutch her bag harder while trying to remember to breath and not accidentally rip her bag.

"Hey, Kara." Lena pulls Kara closer by the waist and gives her a kiss on the cheek, but instead of pulling back she leans a bit more forward to whisper against Kara's ear. "Don't worry, this time I won't leave evidence of my kisses on you." Kara gulps and feels her knees turning into jelly and quickly returns the kiss before Lena pulls back. "Let's go." And Lena pulls Kara by the hand to the other side of the car and opens the door for her before getting in the car herself. Kara takes in the leather interior and grabs onto the seat as the the car roars awake and Lena drives away, its low purr rumbling around her. It takes a few moments for Kara to find her voice again, but eventually she does.

"Where are we going?"

"Oh, this Japanese buffet Kate thought looked nice. Unless you don't wanna, then we can go somewhere else."

"No, buffet sounds great!" Buffets meant Kara could eat as much as she wanted without really minding foreign eyes.

"Great. It's my treat, by the way."

"Lena-"

"No, my treat. I wanna do this for you. You don't have to worry about it." Kara wants to argue, but decides not to. Afterall, it did give her a very fuzzy feeling that Lena always wanted to be giving, treating her.

"Alright. I'll do my best not to worry about it." Kara smiles at Lena, almost smirking. Lena keeps her eyes on the road but a smile grows on her face.

Once they get there, it's a bit hard for Kara not to feel self-conscious about her outfit. Lena's outfit was, as usual, flawless, so Kara didn't worry much at first; but now, looking at the restaurant, everything screamed expensive.

"Ms. Luthor?" The host asks once they walk in.

"Yes."

"We have a table ready for you."

"Thank you, we'll be there in a moment. Just waiting for my friend." Lena says with a smile and the hosts nods in understanding. Lena turns to Kara, "Kate doesn't tend to be late. We won't have to wait much longer. Plus, James is driving her, so she won't be able to get… distracted from her route."

"It's alright." Kara says, hands shaking a bit.

"Hey." Lena slides her hand down Kara's arms to enlace their fingers. "It's alright. It's just Kate."

"I know." Kara mumbles and rests her forehead on Lena's shoulder. "I just- I know how important she is to you. I don't want to- If she doesn't like me-"

"Hey, don't." Lena moves and holds Kara's chin so she can look her in the eye. "You are important to me too. And Kate is _so_ excited to meet you, exactly because she knows I care so much about you." Lena let's go of Kara's face, eyes burying into hers. "You have nothing to worry about. It's not like I'm inviting you to a family dinner. And to be honest, even if that was a possibility, I'd never ask you to suffer through _that_." And just as Lena finishes, Kate walks in with all her shiny red hair, sunglasses still over her eyes, wearing a red flannel, leather pants and highheeled boots. ' _Holy shit,_ ' is very close to Kara's thoughts. Technically, Kate's outfit should make Kara not feel as underdressed anymore, but really she just felt more nervous than ever. _I don't think Kate understands that leather pants aren't proper attire for every single restaurant in the world._ Lena thinks smirking a little and let's go of Kara's hand to go say hi to her best friend.

"Hey, flannel." Lena says as she walks to Kate. _Why is she calling her flannel?_ Kara asks to herself.

"Hey, baby." Kate wraps Lena in a short hug. "Who's the cutie?"

"That's Kara Danvers."

"Oh! Your reporter."

"Not my-" Lena sighs. "Kara, this is Kate Kane." Kate takes her sunglasses off.

"Pleasure to meet you." Kara says a bit shyly and stretches her hand out to shake Kate's.

"The pleasure is all mine." Kate takes Kara's hand and kisses her knuckles. Kara goes beet red and starts stuttering something, anything really.

"Kate, for fuck's sake." Lena bring her hand up, covering her eyes.

"I just wanted her to relax a bit. Know there's nothing to worry about 'cause I'm sure she's an absolute delight. I didn't mean to do, well, _that_." Lena rolls her eyes so hard she probably saw her brain. She takes Kara's hand and pulls her towards the buffet.

"Sorry about-"

"I can apologise myself." Kate says catching up to them. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I was just teasing. It usually helps as an icebreaker."

"Well, it's alright. You didn't do anything wrong." Kara says smiling at Kate, almost fully recovered. "Let's go eat. That's _my_ best icebreaker."

"Nice!" Kate grins at her.

"Oh, you must be famished." Lena says chuckling a bit. Kara scoffs.

"I don't get fa- ok, maybe a little." Kate shakes her head watching them with a smile on her lips. _Are they fucking blind? They're in deeper than Bruce's daddy/mommy issues. This is ridiculous._

They grab their food and sit at the table reserved for them. With a fuller stomach and Lena's knee pressed against hers, Kara eventually relaxes and enjoys the conversation with Kate and Lena, including her quiet moments to listen to their banter, insults, which apparently were endearing, bouncing between the two. She even finds out why Lena calls Kate "flannel"- it's because when they met in school Kate would wear flannel _all_ the time, including when they were in uniform, even if she had to tie it around her hips. And Kate calls Lena baby because, well, that's what she's always called her. When lunch is over and Lena drives Kara back to work, Kara's sure of two things: One, Kate is really nice and now she no longer felt so insecure around her; two, Kate _really_ liked her and seemed to enjoy having her as part of the dynamic with Lena. All in all, it's almost perfect. These were turning out to be the best two weeks ever!

It's Friday, and Lena is so excited because this time she's gonna meet with the B-man himself. Kate's reports on her prototypes' performance have been great to improve them, but Bruce had been working on this for much longer, so his input was not only a great addition but essential for a true improvement on all security equipments L Corp was developing. This was about to be the second best week since… And Lena was so excited. Scared? Yes. But definitely excited. Kara, on her end, was also very excited. She couldn't wait for it to be dinner time so she could see Lena. They hadn't had time to have an actual conversation since lunch on the previous day and now they'd have a _whole day_ to catch up on. Kara was almost walking on air. Snapper was actually happy with her L Corp/Wayne Enterprises article. Kara got a good interview with Lena, and Lena got Kate to send a bit of her opinion on it so Kara could write-in both of their input. Really, life was too good to be true. Kara was just waiting for something awful to happen like the dominators to drop-in or for Lillian Luthor to escape prison.

When it's 7 pm, Kara is finishing cooking pasta when there's a knock on her door. She beams, lowering the fire so she can go get the door without fearing to burn the pasta. Kara opens the door and there's Lena with a pretty smile carrying a metal tupperware and a port wine bottle.

"Hey!" Lena grins at Kara.

"Hi!" Kara beams and gestures for Lena to walk in.

"Portugal sends its love, from when I went there." Lena says placing the port wine bottle on the table. "Guess what I brought here." Lena winks at Kara, placing the tupperware next to the wine bottle. Kara for a moment wants to just use her x-ray vision but that'd be cheating so she doesn't.

"Um… I don't know… homemade goodies?" Kara asks, her stomach fluttery with the prospect that Lena Luthor, _the_ boss of _L Corp_ actually took time out of her _busy_ day to _cook_ for _her_.

"Well… yes. It's homemade, but that's not all." Lena opens the tupperware and Kara's eyes go wide and she puffs her cheeks trying to stay quiet. "I don't get a lot of time to actually cook and bake, so it might not be _that_ good 'cause I'm a bit out of practice. But hopefully it's good enough to eat." Kara _squeals_.

"You made me potstickers?!" Kara almost shouts, still squealing. Lena smiles blushing a bit and chuckles.

"Well, yea."

"Oh my - god, Lena!" Kara goes around the island counter to wrap Lena in a tight hug, picking the latter off the floor. Lena squeals in surprise as her feet are raised off of the floor. Kara just wants to legit jump in the air and hover a bit just to make a point because she is _ascending_. But obviously she doesn't 'cause how is she going to explain that 'yes I can fly. No, what? I'm obviously not Supergirl.' So Kara just puts Lena back on the floor, who for once is actually blushing and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Oh! The pasta!" Kara runs back to make sure it's not burning. She sighs in relief and turn to Lena, "almost ready." Lena smiles at her, still recovering from the fact that Kara actually _picked her up_ _ **again**_ **.**

"I probably shouldn't drink any of the wine. I'm driving." Lena says.

"Oh, then let's not have wine. I rather save it for when we can have it together." Lena smiles, that damn warm feeling filling her up and making everything feel fuzzy and soft. She was starting to adapt to it, but it still made her uneasy.

"Alright then." Lena says and grabs the bottle to store it in the fridge. "Make sure to keep like this. You don't want the corch to dry." Kara rolls her eyes.

"Yes, yes, Ms. Luthor." Lena chuckles and walks to Kara to poke her. "It's ready." Kara says and turns the stove off. Lena starts setting up the table as Kara points in what cabinets the things are and then Kara serves in separate china bowls the pasta and the potstickers. Dinner is really great, they both finish satisfied. Kara insisted she couldn't be the only one to eat the potstickers, so Lena slowly ate two and Kara got distracted and didn't notice Lena was eating just two instead of several and ended up eating basically all of the potstickers, which made Lena really happy. Both women did a great job, even if Lena was out of practice, her dedication to making it work made the potstickers absolutely delicious.

After dinner they move to Kara's couch, ditching their shoes and bring a bowl of popcorns with them. They start watching _Crazy Stupid Love_ but then Lena steals the popcorn bowl all for herself and sits back on the opposite end to Kara on the couch, keeping her away from the bowl with her feet, both giggling uncontrollably. Kara gives up and leans back on her end of the couch, letting her legs meet Lena's.

"Do you think if I throw a popcorn at you, you could catch it with your mouth?" Lena asks playing with the popcorns in the bowl. That question awakens Kara's competitive side.

"Hell yea!" They both chuckle. Lena throws one and Kara catches it and smiles smugly as she chews on it. The more Lena throws, the more Kara catches and the more her smug grows. Eventually, the movie is meaningless to them and it's just a game of Kara catching the popcorns Lena throws at her while they both giggle like high school girls. When the movie is almost over, Lena has to stop because her ribs started hurting with all the laughing. They're both lightly gasping for air coming down from their laughter high.

"Hey," Kara starts after recovering a bit of her breath. "Tomorrow's karaoke night at the dive. You wanna come? Just so you know, you gotta sing."

"Oh," Truth is Lena loves karaoke night but she hasn't done anything like that in so long she feels almost out of place thinking about it. Plus, it was Kate's last night before she returned to Gotham, and Lena promised her a _fun_ night. "Yea, sure. But, um, can I bring Kate? I promised her a fun night before she left for Gotham, and she's leaving on Sunday. You can say no if you don't wanna invite her."

"What? No, I'd love for Kate to be there!" Kara reassures Lena, "the more the merrier!" Lena smiles brightly at Kara. _She really can't be any more perfect._ As you can guess, when Kara texts Alex about it, she disagrees with Kara-the more people there are definitely didn't make it merrier when it's new people in a _secret_ alien bar. The movie is long over when Lena looks at her clock. _Shit almost one._

"Ey, I gotta go." Lena says sitting up. Kara pouts, but Lena can't give in to it yet; she's nowhere ready to _actually_ stay over.

"Okay." They get up. Lena puts her shoes and jacket on and is ready to leave when Kara's phone starts buzzing on the dining table, but Kara ignores it. Kara opens the door and Lena steps outside before turning to her to say goodbye. "Bye."

"Bye." Lena says softly.

Kara places a hand on Lena's waist and pulls her closer to kiss her cheek. This kiss lasts a little bit longer than usual and when they start pulling back there's a thick tension zapping between and around them, making it harder for them to move away. Kara can't let go of Lena's waist. Her eyes flicker down and Lena's lips are _right there_ and her breath is warm on Kara's lips and their heartbeats start picking up and _Oh, Rao. So close_. All she needs to do is to barely lean in. Lena stares at Kara's eyes; they flicker up and down and Lena knows she's having a hard time deciding whether to focus on her eyes or her lips. And _god_ , how she wants to just let herself lean in and let herself be consumed by and consume Kara, but her heartbeat starts to pick up and there's the anxious fire in the pit of her stomach and she keeps it down even if it scares her. Kara sighs, her breath hitting Lena's lips and sending a shiver down Lena's spine, who in return hisses quietly, closing her eyes in an attempt to keep her body under control. When Lena closes her eyes Kara doesn't know what to do. _Wait, is this a sign she wants me to kiss her or is just mustering the patience not to smack me? What do I do?_ Kara decides to close her own eyes and let her instincts take the wheel. _EEEOOOO EEEEEOOOO_ The police siren sounds, speeding past Kara's building and _crack_. The zapping is still there but its fluidity is broken. Lena gets the urge to say 'Go. Kick their asses.' But she can't because Kara hasn't told her the truth about being Supergirl yet. Kara grunts internally into eternity. And her phone is still buzzing on her table, _it's probably Alex._

"I'm gonna go then." Lena says without stepping back just yet. "It's probably Alex calling you." She gives Kara a quick kiss on the cheek and speed walks away, wanting to leave Kara as soon as possible so she could save whoever needed saving at that moment. As soon as Kara's door closes she switches to her super suit, texts Alex to let her know she was on her way and flies there as quickly as possible without breaking the sound barrier.

When Kara gets there, there are a few patrol cars blocking the perimeter around a bank. Kara gets in and all of the policemen are relieved that she got there. There's two dudes with machine guns getting all the cash they can from the cash machines.

"Are we serious now, guys?! What the hell?! Don't you have _anything_ better to do on a freaking Friday night?! Hell, _I_ have better things to do on a Friday night so I know for sure you do too!" Kara is really feeling the whole 'let's blow them up' vibe right now, but takes a deep breath to calm herself down. Right after she exhales a stream of bullets starts hitting her on the chest. _For Rao's sake, is this a joke?_ Kara rolls her eyes and starts checking her fingernails and keeps on doing it until the stream stops and both guys look at her terrified. She looks back at them and raises an eyebrow. "Are we done?" They both gulp. Kara smirks, "alright then, my turn!" Kara superspeeds towards the guy who was shooting her, yanks the machine gun from his hands and throws it towards the cops, grabs the dude and throws him against his partner. They both collapse on the floor and Kara kicks the second machine gun away from their reach and goes to the cops. "They're all yours, guys." Kara smiles at them and flies off.

It's Saturday night and Kara is at the alien dive with Winn, Alex and Mon-El, who luckily finished his shift a bit early. They're sitting at their usual table, which was a bit far from the stage, but the bar wasn't full, so if anyone wanted to sit closer, it'd be easy to grab a chair for a better view.

"Lena just texted me. They're on their way." Everyone nods in acknowledgement, except for Alex.

"I still think it's a bad idea to bring another person in. Bringing Lena in was already bad because she doesn't know anything about the DEO or you being Supergirl. But fine, you're head over heels for her, so, _fine_ bring her. But her friend? Like this is too much. What if she talks about this place? It'll stop being a safe space for those who need it."

"Alex, Kate wouldn't go blabbing about it. She understands better than anyone the importance of safe spaces. Plus, she lives in Gotham. It'll be fine, you'll see." Kara says, reassuring Alex, who grunts and mumbles, sipping her beer.

"Heya, cutie!" Kate walks in as if she was familiar with the place, Lena following her with an amused smile, as she tends to when Kate's around. Alex chokes on her beer. Lena is wearing jeans, high heeled boots, her leather jacket and a green shirt; stunning and hot as usual, but what did Alex care? Kara'd be the breathless one with that view. But Kate… Kate had her hair down and flowy as usual, wearing high heels, a red dress that went down to her thighs and gave a good show of her cleavage, and black lacy tights covering her pale legs; _that_ is what made Alex choke and made Mon-El and Winn forget what they were talking about.

"Hey, Kate! Hey, Lena!" Kara beams and hugs both once they reach her. "Guys, this is Kate! Kate, that's my sister, Alex," Alex smiles awkwardly waving with her beer bottle, "that's Mike," he grins widely and says 'no longer of the interns!' making Lena laugh, "and that's Winn!" He waves timidly. Kate and Lena say their greetings once Kara is done with introduction and sit, each on each of Kara's side.

"Not trying to hurry things up, but how about we start a round of drinks you beautiful people?" Kate prompts with a mischievous smile.

"Oh, she's a drinker." Winn comments smiling.

"Already fitting in with the crew." Mon-El says, also smiling. Kate smiles back at them.

"Hell yeah I'm a drinker, and I'm glad I'm not the only one." Kate turns to Alex and winks.

Drinks come and go around while they banter, the reunion getting quite lively. And Kara notices Lena's eyes drift off to the stage quite a few times, even when there's nobody singing.

"You wanna sing?" Kara asks Lena.

"I don't know…"

"C'mon, Lena!" Kate gets in their barely started conversation. "You love karaoke." Lena looks a bit unsure despite her smile. Kate slides her hand along the table to hold Lena's, giving it a light squeeze "I promise I'll drink with you, keeping up the pace as well as I can if you just relax for once in your life and go sing like you're not the CEO of a multimillion company." Lena smiles at her best friend, squeezing back.

"Deal."

"Oooh, I bet Alex can keep up." Winn says. Alex looks up from her drink.

"I definitely can." Alex says. Kate's smile just grows wider.

"Oh! I can try to keep up with y'all." Winn says excitedly.

"Winn, no." Kara says immediately. He stares at her and there's a little twinkle in his eyes that say he's about to give Kara some sort of inside-joke payback.

"Winn, yes!" He says raising his fists up in the air in an actually good Kara-impression. Kara grunts. _This is gonna be great._

"Alright then. It looks like we have a deal." Lena says and gets up to go to the stage. Kara goes over and grabs a chair to watch Lena singing and Kate follows her. The electronic beat starts as soon as they sit and Lena starts singing _I don't wanna love you_ by Prince Fox.

 _La la la la la love_

 _I don't wanna_

 _La la la la la love_

 _I don't wanna_

 _La la la la la love_

 _I don't wanna love you, I don't wanna love you_

 _I think I want this but I don't have the time_

 _My body wants you but my heart isn't blind_

 _I'm catching feelings that'll hopefully die_

 _They're burning hotter than I usually like_

 _Don't wanna let you in, I shouldn't let you in_

Kara gets a bit pouty and slouchy but then Kate nudges her.

"Don't mind that one bit. She just has a really hard time being okay with strong feelings, especially those that make her feel vulnerable. One of the reasons she likes karaoke, or just singing really, is that it's a _better_ way to cope with it, y'know. Instead of having anxiety attacks and shutting out everyone she loves." Kate says looking at Kara deep in the eye. Kara smiles and nods in understanding; and then Kate catches something over Kara's shoulder. "No fucking way. What are _they_ doing here?" Kara tries to figure out who Kate is referring to but really, everyone there looks like they belong so Kara is left clueless. "Sorry, Kara. I'll be back in a second. I just have… some business to take care of." And the last part just unnerves Kara a bit because that's what _she_ says when she is in Supergirl business but couldn't say it. Kate gets up and walks over to a table almost across the bar, where a blonde and a redhead where sitting at. "What the fuck are you two doing here?!" Kate hisses at them, planting a hand firmly on the table. Harley looks up at Kate startled.

"Seriosuly?! Can't you _bats_ leave us alone for one hot minute?!" Harley says exasperated. Ivy grunts.

"For fuck's sake. Harley, let's just go. I'm sure we can find another dive like this." Harley places a hand on top of Ivy's as a sign for her to wait because Harley wasn't done with Kate.

"Can't ye give us one moment a'peace?! We _legit_ left Gotham to _chill_." Harley is heaving even though she wasn't screaming. She looks ready to smash shit up with a mallet.

"Wait, _what_? Like, for real? You're not planning a heist or anything like that?"

"What? No, dude. We just wanted a lil' alone time. And to get away from…" Harley bites her lower lip and looks away, her hold on Ivy tightening.

"Away from _him_." Ivy finishes for Harley, knowing very well Kate knows who she's referring to.

"Oh." Kate's eyes go wide in understanding. "Well, I didn't come after you either. I'm in another sort of business trip. Just, please, try not to stir up any trouble alright?"

"Don't worry. The last thing we want is to draw attention to ourselves." Ivy says. _That explains why she's hiding her normal complexion._ Kate thinks to herself.

"Okay. I'll leave you be." But before Kate can leave Harley holds her by the wrist, a small smile on her face.

"Thanks, Kate. I- we appreciate it."

"You two have fun tonight. But not too much." Kate winks at them.

"Goodbye Kate." Ivy waves her off, but Kate ignores her and turns to Harley.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're looking so well." Kate says referring to the fight they had a couple of weeks ago when Kate was stopping Harley from stealing some lab equipment for Ivy-according to Harley it wasn't stealing if she was getting it as an anniversary gift. But it sounded more flirty than anything, and Harley didn't seem to notice what Kate was referring to.

"Thaanks, Kate." Harley says with a sheepish smile. Ivy rolls her eyes, _alright, if that's how you wanna play._

"Looking _fine_ as always, Kate." Ivy says practically purring with that wolfish smirk.

"As are you, Ivy." Kate smirks back and turn away before anything could actually happen.

"What did you mean by _that_?" Harley asks a bit perplexed. Ivy scoffs amused.

"Chill sweetpea. It's a redhead thing."

"What do you _mean_ a "redhead thing"?" Harley makes the air quotation with her fingers. "She's looking _fine_ as always and I can see that."

"As am I. And we're both redheads. So it's a redhead thing to _always_ be looking _so fine_." Ivy smirks playfully.

When Kate returns to Kara, Lena had just finished her song and was leaving the stage.

"Who are they?" Kara asks. She didn't try to listen to their conversation, but still got curious.

"Oh, they're old… friends. Sort of."

"Okay."

"Hey." Lena looks at them expectantly and Kara turns to her beaming.

"Rocking the mic as always, baby." Kate says before Kara starts gushing and she never gets a chance to compliment her friend. They start walking back and Kate tries to make conversation with Alex, Mon-El butts in every so often.

"Oh my god, Lena! I didn't know you had such a lovely voice. I mean, you obviously have a lovely voice. Like, duh. But I had no idea you had a lovely _singing_ voice."

"Oh my god Kara." Lena shakes her head smiling. _She seriously needs to stop being so fucking cute. Too fucking cute. And I'm not that great._ And then they get a few more drinks, Mon-El slips a drink to Kara, winking. It had a quarter of a mini dose of that alien alcohol. So Kara drinks it slowly. It should give her a mini buzz for a few hours, but it'd be gone by the time they left.

"So." Kara turns to Lena, "you wanna hear a song Supergirl would sing?" Lena smirks.

"Hell yeah." Kara gets up and sees Alex fixing a sharp glare on her, but she waves it off and goes to the stage and starts singing _Parachute_ by Cheryl Cole.

 _I don't tell anyone about the way you hold my hand_

 _I don't tell anyone about the things that we have planned_

 _I won't tell anybody_

 _Won't tell anybody_

 _They wanna push me down, they wanna see you fall…_

" _Holy fucking shit._ " Lena is absolutely dumbstruck. "She has the voice of an angel." She tries to tell Kate, but the latter is too busy trying to chat Alex up. "No. She has the voice of- I don't even know. It's like she's a force of nature." Winn nods knowingly, eyes glazed over as Mon-El tears his eyes away from Kate.

"Yea, I know. She always destroys us in karaoke." Mike says. "Winn is hella good too, but Kara, man. She's the best of us."

"In everything, basically." Winn says coming out of his daze.

"Well, almost everything." Mike says looking at Winn knowingly. _Right, she's not very good with computers and ol fashioned sneakiness_.

"Still, it's fucking unfair." Lena says. _And I am not okay with how okay I am with this._ The flow of drinks is non-stop at their table; Winn is drunk, Kate, Lena and Alex are in tipsy stage.

… _I don't need a parachute_

 _Baby, if I've got you_

 _Baby, if I've got you_

 _I don't need a parachute_

 _You're gonna catch me_

 _You're gonna catch if I fall_

 _Down, down, down…_

When Kara comes back, Winn gets up.

"My turn!" He says slamming his hand on the table. "Ouch. That hurt."

"Go Winn!" Kara cheers him on as he leaves for the stage. "Oohoo!"

And he starts singing _Jolene_ by Dolly Parton.

"Oh my god." Lena snorts trying not to laugh. Kara lightly smacks her on the arm.

"Don't mock him!"

"I'm not! It's just- don't you get it?" _Winn is clearly getting jealous of Kate 'cause Mike keeps on giving her more attention_.

"Get what?" _Oh boy. She really doesn't see it_.

"Nothing. It's probably the buzz." Once Winn comes back, Lena locks eyes with Kate who smirks at her knowingly and winks.

"I'll be back in a second, tiger." Kate says to Alex, who's blushing due to the alcohol and the nonstop flirting between the two and, well, _that_ nickname.

"Hey guys," Kate says once she's on stage. "I'm Jolene, but don't worry I have _no_ interest in your _men_." Kate winks at everyone in general and starts singing _Girls Like girls_ by Hayley Kiyoko. Lena cracks up. _Oh, I love that idiot._ Kara locks eyes with Alex and waggles her eyebrow.

"Shut up, Kara." Alex hisses throwing a straw at her sister and goes back to listening to Kate singing.

Kate comes back, they continue drinking and Lena feels like singing again, so she starts discussing what song they wanna sing next. Everyone is at _least_ drunk. Winn is showing something on his phone to Mon-El, who has given up on trying to get Kate's attention. Kate has now moved to Alex's side of the table so she can "talk" to Alex better.

"I don't know… sing whatever comes to you, whatever you're feeling." Kara says to Lena. Lena hums thoughtfully.

"I know what I'm gonna sing!" And off she goes.

"Sorry, tiger. I gotta go watch." Kate leaves a kiss on Alex's cheek and follows Kara to the chairs they got to have a better view of the stage. Alex just stays frozen for a second before returning to her drinking. Lena clears her throat and starts singing _Do I Wanna Know?_ by Arctic Monkeys.

"Oh, boy. This is gonna be grand. That's my baby, adding a bit of drama to everything." Kate laughs and Kara looks at her a bit puzzled. And then Lena starts singing; this time it's a bit hard for Kara to take her eyes off of Lena.

… _Ah, there's some aces up your sleeve_

 _Have you no idea you're in deep_

 _I dreamt about you nearly every night this week_

 _How many secrets can you keep?_

' _Cause there's this tune I found that makes me think of you somehow_

 _When I play it on repeat_

 _Until I fall asleep_

 _Spilling drinks on my settee…_

And this time Lena is almost always staring at Kara as she sings.

… _Simmer down and pucker up_

 _I'm sorry to interrupt it's just I'm constantly_

 _On the cusp of trying to kiss you_

 _I don't know if you feel the same as I do_

 _But we could be together, if you wanted to_

 _Do I wanna know_

 _If this feeling flows both ways_

 _Sad to see you go_

 _Was sorta hoping that you'd stay_

 _Baby we both know_

 _That the nights were mainly made for saying_

 _Things you can't say tomorrow day_

 _Crawling back to you_

 _Ever thought of calling when you've had a few_

' _Cause I always do…_

Kara's mouth goes dry. _Rao help me. This night is gonna be wild if she keeps on- being all- Lena, for Rao's sake!_

Lena finishes singing and strides to meet Kara and Kate, feeling very good because from Kara's looks and general audience reaction, she _slayed_ it. Halfway there Lena sees something that makes her stop on her tracks brusquely-there's a redhead goddess, who isn't Kate, kissing her sweet Kara. Kara's eyes are wide in surprise and it takes a second before she pulls away from the woman and the latter says something before walking away. _This bitch! What the fuck?_

Here's what happened: Kara and Kate are watching Lena sing, when Ivy and Harley come say their goodbyes to Kate, but then, before walking away, Ivy takes a look at Kara.

"Huh, there's something familiar about you."

"I'm sure there isn't. Or there is. I am a very _common_ person. Ordinary as can be."

"I think I _know_ your cousin."

"No you don't. I don't have a cousin." Ivy hums, thinking for a moment. She holds Kara's chin and plants a kiss on her lips. _What the- holy… she has really nice lips- Kara!_ Kara pulls away, pushing Ivy away at the same time. Ivy chuckles, smirking.

"Heh, I was right. Your cousin is a _friend_ of mine." Ivy walks away with Harley.

"Can ya please stop randomly kissing people?" Harley asks Ivy as they walk away.

"Can you stop randomly hammering people with a mallet or whatever you get your pretty hands on?" Harley pouts in response. "Exactly. Plus, I needed to check. They can hide under all the costumes they want, but they still taste practically the same." Harley shrugs.

"Maybe it's a mineral thing." And they leave the bar.

Meanwhile…

"I'm really sorry, Kara. They have… issues." _To put it mildly._ Kara's is still trying to process everything. _Was she actually talking about Kal? How are they fri- wait, how did kissing me confirm it to her? Oh good Rao, please tell me I didn't just kiss someone Kal kissed. Ew ew ew_. Kara's lost in her thoughts as Kate's eyes are drawn to a heaving Lena, and Kate immediately recognizes the look: heaving chest, nostrils flared, eyes lit with anger, pupils dilated, and the addition of a few too many drinks-that was a look that Kate classified as Ready To Slay a Bitch. Only that this bitch was Poison fucking Ivy and she was with her one and only Harley Quinn. So Kate practically runs to meet Lena before her friend gets the chance to get killed by a psychiatrist and a botanical engineer with a PhD.

"Hey, baby! That was amazing, oh my god! You slayed it!"

"Who the fuck-"

"Oh, that was nobody! Just a really fucking drunk lady! Did you see Kara's face while you were singing? She's so completely smitten, it's ridiculous. You're both ridiculous. I can't believe you haven't even kissed her." Lena is still looking a bit unsure. "Let's go sing together. If they think they've seen it all, they're dead wrong because the only thing that could be better than you singing is you singing with me." Kate could list many things that could be better than that, but the main goal here was to distract Lena. Lena lets herself be dragged back on stage and Kara waves for Alex to join her and watch Lena and Kate singing _Everybody Talks_ by Neon Trees.

 _Hey baby won't you look my way_

 _I can be your new addiction_

 _Hey baby what you gotta say?_

 _All you giving me is fiction_

 _I'm a sorry sucker and this happens all the time_

 _I found out that everybody talks_

 _Everybody talks, everybody talks…_

Kate is so obviously flirting with Alex, the latter is regretting joining Kara to get a better view because this was _too much_. Lena looked at Kara for most of the first part of the song, that teasing smirk always there. _Oh boy… what have I gotten myself into?_ But then Kate and Lena start remembering their good ol' days and start singing to each other, having ' _#toomuchfun_ '.

… _Hey sugar show me all your love_

 _All you're giving me is friction_

 _Hey sugar what you gotta say?_

 _It started with a whisper…_

They finish the song and come down from the stage laughing, holding each other. They all walk back together to their table and Kara can't stop smiling because Lena's there and _she_ can't stop smiling. Everyone is chatting and having fun and exchanging drinks and Lena just looks _happy._ She's clearly very glad that Kate is there, not only because it made her feel more comfortable (which meant Lena was feeling trusting enough to drink _a lot more_ than usual), but also because she hadn't had the time to just go out with her friend, no business to discuss, no angry men trying to manipulate them. Lena was practically beaming and that could make Kara smile for a whole week nonstop. They're all chatting freely, Kate is still invested on flirting with Alex, but never shuts down the group conversation, letting Alex feel more comfortable. Lena places a hand on Kara's knee and turns to her.

"Hey, your turn to sing. You've such an amazing voice."

"Okay." Kara smiles sheepishly, feeling the light buzz she had from Mon-El's drink leaving her.

"Sing… sing something I wouldn't expect you to sing." Lena dares Kara. Kara raises an eyebrow.

"Challenge accepted!" Kara says in a overly brave voice and smirks. _God, she's such a Gryffindor_. Lena watches as Kara walks to the stage and starts singing _Boulevard of Broken Dreams_ by Green Day.

 _I walk a lonely road_

 _The only one I've ever known_

 _Don't know where it goes_

 _But it's only me, and I walk alone_

 _I walk this empty street_

 _On the boulevard of broken dreams_

 _Where the city sleeps_

 _And I'm the only one, and I walk alone…_

Lena's jaw goes slack; she _definitely_ didn't expect _that_.

 _My shadow is the only one that walks beside me_

 _My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating_

 _Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me_

 _Till then I walk alone…_

When Kara ends, Lena's practically heartbroken.

"Damn. Didn't think you liked Green Day."

"Uh, they're not bad. It's mostly 'cause of Alex's angsty phase." Lena laughs.

"Oh, that explains it." Lena says, scooting her stool closer to Kara.

"Having fun?" Kara asks. Lena leans in and kisses Kara's cheek; she hums still pressed against her cheek, giggling a bit, and leans back.

"Yea, lots." Her smile brighter than ever. "This is all…" Lena sighs delighted, "it's great. Thank you."

"Thank _you_." Kara says softly. Lena bites her lower lip as her eyes drop to look at Kara's mouth. _Don't. I need to do something. Distraction, distraction, distra- of course._ Lena convinces everyone to take a shot of vodka, Kara begs Winn not to, but he goes in anyways. And then Lena is off to the stage again. And then _Sugar_ by Maroon 5 starts playing and this time Lena is not being discreet as to who she's singing to.

 _I'm hurting baby, I'm broken down_

 _I need your loving, loving_

 _I need it now_

 _When I'm without you_

 _I'm something weak_

 _You got me begging, begging_

 _I'm on my knees…_

Lena is giving a full performance and absolutely slaying it. Kara's blushing because Lena hasn't taken her eyes off of her since she got on stage. Also, she was very impressed that Lena could actually still do a little performance on high heels after so many drinks and shots and what not.

… _My broken pieces,_

 _You pick them up_

 _Don't leave me hanging, hanging_

 _Come give me some_

 _When I'm without ya_

 _I'm so insecure_

 _You're the one thing, one thing_

 _I'm living for_

Kara isn't sure when, but Lena gets this wolfish grin and her whole body just screams, _I'm so screwed_. And a few stanzas later, Lena starts walking towards her while singing, thankfully the mic's wireless.

 _Yeah_

 _I want that red velvet_

 _I want that sugar sweet_

Lena places her index finger under Kara's chin and makes Kara look up as she leans down. Kara can't even process half a proper thought because _Oh Rao, she's gonna kiss me!_

 _Don't let nobody touch it_

 _Unless that somebody's me_

 _I gotta be your man_

Lena gets back up, never kissing Kara, a knowing smirk on her lips.

 _There ain't no other way_

' _Cause girl you're hotter than a southern California day_

And Lena returns to the stage to finish the song. Kara has completely melted on her seat and no longer is sure of how one functions in general. Alex, who just witnessed that, wants to die or bleach her eyes, but Kate's right there, so she decides flirting with the redhead is a better alternative. Alex smirks turning to Kate and tries to remember any pickup line but her mind goes blank.

"So… do you want to go ahead and plan a date in hell? I have no soul and it _has_ to be a sin to look as good as you, so we are bound to meet up."Alex tries to sound as confident as her blushing cheeks will allow her. Kate bursts out laughing, thankfully she had swallowed her drink before Alex spoke.

"Ooh, the tiger wants to play." Kate turns to her smirking and leans in a bit. "Why wait 'till then when we can do it right here, right now?" Alex's face goes beet red and she starts stuttering. Her thoughts are basically _That backfired_ _ **quickly**_ _! ABORT! ABORT!_ By then Lena is back and pulling Kara off her seat; she leaves a kiss on Kara's cheek.

"Your turn, sunshine."

"Alright, um, let me think of what I want to sing." Kara goes talk to Kate and sees the latter with a satisfied smile while Alex looks like she regrets ever learning how to talk. "Uh, um, sorry to interrupt whatever was going on here, but Kate, Lena's drinking _way_ more than I last saw her drink. Is this okay?" Kate scoffs.

"Sweetie, she can drink twice as what she's had so far and she'd still be walking. Maybe not on a straight line, but definitely well enough to get home without being mugged."

"Um, okay. Alright, then."

"Look, she's just gonna get a bit more touchy and _such_ , and it's gonna take a little longer for her to fall asleep. That's it."

"Okay." Kara nods seriously. "I'm gonna go sing something then." Kara goes up the stage to sing _Feeding The Fire_ by Hayley Kiyoko.

 _Stay or should I go_

 _Tell me yes or no_

 _It's all a mystery_

 _It's all the little things_

 _Tell me what you want this to be_

 _Tell me what you want me to see_

 _I just can't catch a break_

 _When everything's at stake_

 _Looking for a way_

 _Not a fast escape_

 _I know what I want this to be_

 _I know what I want me to see_

 _Get your heavy weight off my back_

 _I'm on the right track_

 _And you're feeding the fire_

 _Walk the thinnest line to get me back_

 _I'm on the right track_

 _And you're feeding the fire…_

Lena stares at Kara singing, the latter is _really_ into the song. _Oh boy,_ Lena thinks in between the buzzing running through her body, _oh god. It's like I've never been through this before. I can't believe I'm a CEO and this absolute bundle of sunshine can make me feel all fluttery and stupid like a fucking schoolgirl_. _This is ridiculous._ Lena looks for Kate's eyes for some sort of reassurance, something to tell her _Nah, you're not in_ that _deep_. Even though she knows Kate wouldn't give her that. They exchange a look and Kate winks at her suggestively as she whispers against Alex's ear. When Kate leans back, Alex finds herself stuttering once again.

"Yea, we could totes- that could be- it would be- I mean, like, if-" Kate sighs amused. She places her hands on Alex's thighs for support, leans over and shuts Alex up with a kiss. Alex freezes, eyes go wide, but there's that warmth pooled in the pit of her stomach, so she lets herself melt under Kate's touch.

Kara returns to their table feeling a bit giddy with excitement from the song. She looks around and doesn't find Alex, but shrugs it off.

"How was that?" Kara asks.

"Fucking amazing." Lena says placing a hand on Kara's knee. Their seats are so close it'd be easy for Lena to just slide herself onto Kara's lap, but Lena is still trying to keep things under control. Two rounds of drinks and a lot of chatter goes by when Alex walks in from the back door, red cheeks and neck, trying to fix the mess that was her hair. _Oh, there she is! Wait, she came from the back door?_ Kara frowns at Alex's state and exchanges a look with her, asking _what's going on?_ with her eyes, but Alex just looks away, looking even more flustered than before and sits at the table, downing her drink. Shortly after, Kate saunters in from the same place as Alex, running her fingers through her hair, looking flawless as ever, that proud smirk on her lips, with only a discreet blush on her cheeks to give her away. _OH!_ Kara realizes what happened and goes back to giving attention to Lena, who now has slidden her hand up to Kara's thigh, so she doesn't get scarred by seeing something she doesn't want to. Two more rounds go by and Lena's hand moves from Kara's thigh to hold one of her hands, and she occasionally rests her head on Kara's shoulder or leave kisses on her cheek, stamping them with all the things she thinks are great about Kara. Sometimes whispering silly comments against Kara's ear. Kara hadn't stopped blushing for a second and had no idea of how to handle it.

"I want to _perform_." Lena says out of nowhere.

"No." Kara shakes her head repeatedly.

"Yes. I _really_ want to _perform_."

"I don't think it'd be wise." Kara says and turns to her friends for support. Winn and Mon-El are chatting lively, while Winn is trying to rest his head on his hand, but he's too drunk to keep it balanced. Then she turns to get help from Kate, who Kara was certain would be able to dissuade Lena, but Kate's making out with Alex. _Ugh, why? Why now?_ She turns to Lena, who has a satisfied smirk on her lips that has _I won_ written all over it. "Lena, no."

"Lena, yes. Just go to the watching chair and enjoy the show." Lena gets up but Kara doesn't let go of Lena's hand. "Don't worry, Kara. If anything happens Supergirl will save me." She winks at Kara and slips away from her. Kara moves to the other chair and the tune of the song starts playing and it's familiar to Kara, but she can't figure out what song it is.

 _I made it through the wilderness_

 _Somehow I made it through_

 _Didn't know how lost I was_

 _Until I found you_

Kara doesn't quite know how to feel about Lena doing quite the performance of _Like a Virgin_ , looking at her the whole time.

 _I was beat_

 _Incomplete_

 _I'd been had, I was sad and blue_

 _But you made me feel_

 _Yea, you made me feel_

 _Shiny and new_

 _Hoo, like a virgin_

 _Touched for the very first time_

 _Like a virgin_

 _When your heart beats_

 _Next to mine…_

Kara looks at Kate crying for help. Kate mouths _If anything happens I will rescue you as soon as I can_. Kara nods and mouths _thank you_ and goes back to watching. And it's _bad_ because Lena is singing in this low purring tone and, despite the amount of alcohol she had, her voice isn't slurry and she's looking at Kara with what could only be called _bedroom eyes_.

 _You're so_ _ **fine**_

 _And you're mine_

 _I'll be yours_

' _Till the end of time_

' _Cause you made me feel_

 _Yeah, you made me feel_

 _I've nothing to hide…_

And then Lena steps off the stage and swaggers towards Kara, who only gulps and braces herself for whatever Lena has in mind. Lena drops herself on Kara's lap and wraps an arm around her shoulders to keep some of her balance and leaves a wet kiss on Kara's cheek, practically on her ear. Lena keeps on leaning back and every time she leans back a bit too far Kara thinks she's gonna fall on her head, but then Lena springs back.

"Oh god, Lena, you're _not_ actinglike a _virgin_." Kara mumbles making Lena laugh, but she never misses a beat of the song. Kara's biggest dilemma at the moment is that every time she thinks Lena is about to fall, her first instinct is to wrap an arm around her waist to bring her up, or place a hand on her thigh or hip to keep her in place; but Kara knows that at this point, if she does anything like that, things would get out control real fast and the last thing she wants is for Lena to do something just because she was too drunk. Kara looks at Kate sending her a look of desperate call for help and Kate mouths back, _Not yet. Almost there_. And Kara wonders if "there" is her death.

… _Like a virgin_

 _Feels so good inside_

 _When you hold me_

 _And your heart beats_

 _And you love me…_

As soon as the song gives its last beat, Kate is pulling Lena off Kara's lap, who's thanking Kate profusely with her eyes. _Oh, thank Rao! I really didn't want to die like this_.

"Hey, baby! That was a great performance!" Kate says, pulling Lena by the waist.

" _Right?_ I'm pretty sure Kara liked it. In a 'can't really speak or function in general' kind a'way." Kate chuckles with Lena.

"Yea, I bet. Now, honey, we gotta return the mic."

"True, if I keep it for too long people will say I was gonna steal it or somethin' and it's all gonna spiral to a 'Lena _Luthor_ is falling down the same path as all her family'." They drop the mic with the 'stage manager' and start their way back to the table.

"Okay, baby, no need to be dramatic."

"You're right, but I'm actually impressed mum hasn't sent someone to kill me. Maybe she'll just frame me for something to ruin my reputation once and for all so the whole world sees me like one of them, when I'm the complete opposite. The only thing _Luthor_ about me is my last name. You think Kara would still believe me if I was framed?"

"Okay. Lena, look at me." Kate says seriously, stopping her and holding her shoulders firmly. "Yes, I think it's completely plausible that your awful mother tries to frame you or assassinate you, but that girl," Kate gestures at Kara discreetly, "she will _always_ believe in _you_ , Lena. She _knows_ you. She might not know everything about you, but she knows your heart, and she might as well know your soul. So you don't need to fear her leaving 'cause she won't unless you ask her to. And neither will I. Do you understand?" Lena has a pouty smile and nods. "Good, now let's go back. Your little performance interrupted my _conversation_ with Alex because she was too traumatized that someone was singing 'like a virgin' on her sister's lap." And they sit at their table with everyone else.

Winn is barely able to keep himself up, having to lean on Mon-El for balance. The hype has died out and everyone is just chilling, slowly enjoying their drinks.

"Um, guys, I think I'm gonna take him home." Mon-El says referring to Winn.

"Alright." Kara says nodding and smiles at Mon-El.

"Oww, you'll take me home? Oh my god, Mon, thank you! You're so sweet." Winn says giving Mon-El a sloppy hug. Mon-El chuckles.

"There's no way you'd make it home in your state." Mon-El says, he leaves the money to pay for their part of the bill on the table and pulls one of Winn's arms over his shoulder as he wraps his other arm around Winn's waist to hold him up and help him walk out. Everyone waves their goodbyes.

"Why the fuck did Winn call him Mon? Isn't his name Mike?" Lena asks frowning. _Dammit Winn!_

"Oh, it's just his nickname for Mike, I have no idea why. It's like their thing. I don't know." Kara looks at Lena, who looks convinced enough. "You wanna go too?"

"Yea, sure."

"Hey, girlies, we goin'." Kate says.

"Yea, we're leaving too." Kara says.

"Alright then, bye." Kate waves and starts walking away.

"Bye." Alex waves and Kara winks at her as she follows Kate.

"Let's go home?" Kara turns to Lena.

"Like to _your_ house?"

"Uh, I meant yours, but if you wanna go to mine instead, it's fine too. Whatever you prefer is good." Lena hums and stops to think about it for a second.

"My place. Eddie's there and I haven't had a lot of time with him." Lena says and Kara smiles at her.

"Alright," they start walking out. "Give me your keys so I can drive us home."

"Wait, you know how to ride bikes?" Lena asks with her eyebrows raised.

"Yea," Kara shrugs. _Daamn guurl!_ Lena gives Kara her keys and the latter goes through the unlocking process, remembering how Lena does it. She grabs one of the helmets and hands the other to Lena. The whole time Lena stood there, sort of fidgeting, looking like she wanted to say something but was trying to convince herself not to.

"That's really hot." Lena blurts out and a blush immediately grows on her cheeks. Kara's surprised at first but then she blushes. _Does she know how hot_ she _looks riding a motorcycle?_ Kara bites her lip, wondering if and how she should respond to that. But then Kara just gives her a sheepish smile and climbs on the bike and Lena gets on right after her, wrapping her arms tightly around Kara's waist to keep herself comfortably pressed against Kara the whole ride.

They're going up the elevator and Kara notices this is the first time she's taking the elevator, since every time she left the building, she's flown away. Since Lena can keep her balance, Kara is a safe distance away from Lena because they're in a metal box 'till they get to the last floor and there's no way Kara would let Lena do something she might regret the next morning. But then Lena just slowly reaches out and holds Kara's hand, intertwining their fingers and tugging her closer. Kara can't help but smile, but she keeps herself ready for Lena to pull off a _Like a Virgin_ at any moment. The floors pass by and halfway up the building, Lena's side is pressed gently against Kara's, her head resting on Kara's shoulder despite the height difference due to her high heels. They walk hand in hand into Lena's apartment and as soon as they walk in Eddie is at their feet, first rubbing himself against Lena and then Kara.

"There's my pretty boy!" Lena says picking him up to kiss the top of his head.

"Hey Eddie." Kara says as she pets his head after Lena kisses it. Lena lets him jump to the floor and goes to her room, getting rid of her jacket and heels as soon as she gets there. Kara looks around the room remembering the last time she was there, in a rather similar scenario, just that this time Lena seemed a lot more comfortable around her and last time they had just been kidnapped and Lena was practically already asleep. And then her eyes stop on Lena, who's sitting on the edge of her bed with a slight frown and clearly trying not to pout. Kara walks to her, "ey, what is it?"

"You gonna leave." Lena keeps her eyes down.

"Not if you want me to stay." Kara says caressing Lena's cheek.

"I only want you to stay if you wanna stay." Lena says finally looking up at Kara's eyes. Kara smiles softly at the woman before her and leans down to press a kiss against her cheek.

"I wanna stay." Kara whispers against Lena's cheek, who shivers slightly, a giddy smile growing in her lips. Lena holds Kara's face and presses her cheek against hers. A moment or two go by in silence, in which both of them just take in each other's presence, each other's scent, the feeling of their skins growing warmer against their touch. And then Lena let's her go and Kara straightens up slowly.

"Grab one of my pj's over there. You don't have to sleep on your clothes like last time. And you can change in the bathroom if you prefer." She nods at the bathroom to indicate where it is, the smile still on her lips. Kara's looking through Lena's pj's drawer, which is only filled with comfy shirts 'till one catches her attention, "Seriously? You have a _Batwoman_ t-shirt?" Lena scoffs.

" _Duh_ , she's a badass."

"How do you know?"

"Same way I know Supergirl is a badass, she saved my life."

"Oh…" Kara settles for the Led Zeppelin shirt she saw Lena wearing last time. "Don't you have any pj pants?"

"No, I don't like sleeping with pants on." _Well, that explains it,_ Kara thinks to herself. "You can grab one of my sweatpants, though. They're in the drawer below that one."

Kara grabs one where Lena indicated and goes change in the bathroom. _I'm nowhere near ready to watch Lena- cross that, to see Lena changing while I'm in the room changing too._ Kara changes into Lena's shirt and sweatpants and folds her own clothes neatly before walking out of the bathroom; as soon as she's out, Kara drops her clothes on the floor along with her jaw. In front of her standing, casually offering her a cup of water while she held her own, was Lena Luthor wearing a blue sweater with the House of El crest sewn into it, barely big enough to reach her thighs. Lena's innocently batting her eyelashes at Kara with a cute smile.

"Want some water? And maybe you shouldn't leave your clothes there, don't want anyone slipping on them, do we?" Kara gulps, eyes still wide, and grabs her clothes from where she dropped, though her jaw seems to still be gone, along with her thought functions.

"That's- that's- a nice- um-" Kara grabs the cup Lena's offering her. "Thanks." and she downs it _fast_ , trying to cool her _whole_ body while Lena sips her water calmly, a self satisfied smile on her lips. Lena leaves her cup on her bedside table, grabs Kara's clothes and empty cup and puts them on the bureau. She saunters back to Kara, who's frozen in place still trying to digest the view of Lena wearing a clearly newly bought Supergirl sweater to sleep. Lena holds Kara's hand and she's about to speak when…

"Is that a Superman or a Supergirl sweater?" Kara blurts out. _Please be Supergirl. Please. I'll be forever traumatized if-_ Lena rolls her eyes.

" _Obviously_ Supergirl. Why the fuck would I _ever_ want to sleep wearing Superman merchandise?" Kara internally sighs in relief but that doesn't really help her with the flutter in her stomach or the _Holy- Lena's wearing a sweater basically of me to sleep,_ thoughts running in her minds.

"Oh, cool." Kara shrugs, failing at looking like she didn't care.

"So…" Lena starts walking backwards towards her bed, pulling Kara with her, "why don't we do something _fun_?" And then she stops walking but keeps on pulling Kara, who ends up almost bumping against her. _Oh Rao help me._

"Oh, um, I, um, like what?"

"Oh… I don't know…" Lena starts playing with a loose strand of Kara's hair, rolling a strand of it around index finger, biting her lip, pupils dilated to the point her eyes are mostly dark. Kara curses internally. And that's when it downs on her that she's looking _down_ and Lena is looking _up_. And it had never occurred to her that Lena was shorter than her because Lena's always wearing high heels, but maybe also because every time they talk Kara can't even keep track of her own words. With Kara's silence, Lena guesses she should be clearer about what she meant by ' _fun_ ', and starts leaning up, eyes fluttering close.

"Oh my god, you're shorter than me?!" _For fuck's sake, Kara_. Lena grunts and gives up, dropping her hands and the drunkenly seductive pose.

"Seriously?! You only noticed that _now_ , of all the times we've stood close to each other?"

"Well, you're always wearing heels…"

"Well, if I'm _always_ wearing heels and I _never_ manage to be much taller than you it's because I'm _clearly_ shorter."

"Okay, yea, you're right. Hadn't thought of it." Kara shrugs and hops on the bed and sits against the headboard bars with the pillow as support, tucking her legs under the covers. Lena smiles at the sight and does the same but with an obvious drunk clumsiness. She looks at Kara for a moment and then the smile is gone and she's looking down at her hands, fidgeting. "What is it?" Kara asks worriedly.

"Nothing, it's just- I don't know if it's ok for me to ask 'cause- can we sit like we did that other night?" Lena asks rather timidly.

"The one you-" _Don't say that_ , "the picture night?" _Much better._

"Yea, that one."

"Only if you promise not to run off like that again." Lena chuckles.

"I promise." Kara grabs Lena's and her pillow and puts them against the headboard to lean against them, the she makes space for Lena and opens her arms like she did the other night.

"Come here." Kara says grinning and this time Lena actually beams at her, making Kara's heart go all fluttery. Lena brings the covers up and over them once she settles on the spot between Kara's legs, and snuggles against her. Kara wraps her arms around Lena and absentmindedly strokes Lena's arm with her thumb. Lena, on the other hand, is very concentrated on the heartbeat against her ear.

"You have such a good heart Kara. It's like, painfully good. I can barely believe it."

"What?" Lena speak so softly and the things she said… Kara wasn't sure she actually heard that.

"You have a good heart, Kara. And it's very comforting to hear it beating." Kara kisses the top of Lena's head and squeezes her a bit, softly.

"Thanks, Lena. You have a beautiful heart." Lena hums in delight of everything - Kara's voice, the smell surrounding her, the heart beating in sync with hers, the warm, soft, yet strong body holding her, keeping her safe. She strokes up and down Kara's arm and then stops at her upper arm and squeezes it, making Kara blush at the extra attention her biceps are getting.

"You're so fucking strong." Lena says sounding a bit amazed. _It's so nice that she isn't_ actually _made of steel 'cause I get to actually squeeze her_.

"Uh, um, yea, I guess."

"You guess?! Like, feel these." Lena squeezes again. "But I didn't mean it only physically. I mean, you're clearly physically strong, that was more than clear when we got kidnapped. You have an extra hard skull." Kara chuckles. "But you're strong is _so many ways_. You lost your parents but you don't let that take over your happiness. And, and you keep on sticking with me. Not only here, right now, in our… friendship. But publicly too. You keep on telling the world about me. You keep on trying to show people I'm not just another _Luthor_ who's gonna blow up on everyone's faces at any second. Like, why would you do that? Why would you _ever_ waste your time doing this? Being _my_ friend?"

"Lena, you'r-"

"And you fight _so much_. You're always fighting for everything. About everything." Lena turns around to face Kara, placing each hand next to Kara's sides to support her weight as she locks eyes with Kara. The intensity of Lena's gaze as well as their closeness, leaves Kara speechless. "And those eyes… those ocean blue eyes, even when you're angry or… Kara… there's a whole world in them. There's so much. And I wish I could just get lost in it. Learn everything it can teach me." Kara stares at Lena. _Am I dying and that's why she's saying all of this and looking at me like- like-_ Lena leans in and takes a deep breath as Kara doesn't breath at all. _Control Lena, control. You already poured half your heart out. Control._ Lena keeps on leaning in and plants a kiss on Kara's shoulder and then hugs her, snuggling against Kara and tightening her hug. Kara stares off for a few more seconds, slowly returning to her breathing. _I didn't die. I haven't been sent away to Rao's light. This is real. Oh, Rao this is real. And she meant everything. She- I- I had no idea…_

So, Kara does the only thing she's able to at the moment, she hugs Lena not too tightly, letting her body melt against Lena's, like she did when they were riding her bike. Eventually, Kara has slidden down the pillows and is practically laying down, but they keep holding each other. And once again they lose track of time and how it runs or strolls by them.

"I can't sleep." Lena eventually breaks their silence.

"You want me to read you something?" Kara offers.

"Yea. Read me the article."

"Which one?"

"The one you wrote about me. About me helping Supergirl save the aliens. But not the one that got published. The original one that you flatter me far too much." Kara scoffs.

"Someone's got a big ego." She jokes. Lena nuzzles Kara, smiling.

"I just like hearing what you actually think about me. And that it's so many good things and that you were actually willing to let everyone know that that's what you think about me… it's kinda surreal to me. No, not kinda, it's _very_ surreal." Kara can actually feel something breaking inside of her and she gives Lena a soft squeeze.

"I don't have it with me right now. But I have an idea that'd be similar. That okay?" Lena nods. "Alright," Kara kisses the top of Lena's head, taking a deep breath, filling herself with the soft scent of plumerias and strength to keep going. "I like the way you hold yourself, never letting people talk down to you. I like the way you smile. I like the way you smile when I walk into your office. I like the way you're passionate about L Corp and ready to defend it at any moment. You're _so_ passionate. I like how brave you are. And you're so freaking smart. So intelligent, like- Oh, I'm very impressed by how you hold yourself when drunk." Lena chuckles sleepily, making Kara smile even more. "I love how you laugh. I love how confident you are. I love the way you look at me when… gosh, your eyes… you can paralyze me with a look and your voice… you render me speechless, powerless, Lena. One word. One look. It's all that it takes. You're just…" Kara sighs delighted, "so worth the time and _every_ fight." Lena squeezes Kara.

"I was right… you spoil me." Kara chuckles a bit embarrassed that Lena actually heard all that, since she was hoping Lena would be asleep by now. _Rao, please, let Lena not remember this_.

"You're still up, so I guess we'll go with bedtime story?"

"Alright." Lena mumbles. Kara's sure she won't tell a whole story before Lena passes out. Kara thinks for a moment.

"Aright, here we go." Kara clears her throat. "A long time ago there was this girl and she was presented with the most important task _ever_. She had to preserve _all_ of her" _Planet? No, too obvious,_ "country's history and culture and raise the last survivor of her country, apart from herself. But you see, that survivor was sent across the seas, and though there was hope for a specific destination, there was no telling where the tides would take that baby. So the girl was sent across the seas, but unlike the baby, the tides took her away from the right stream and trapped her away for years on end. When she finally manages her way out of the trap and into her original destination, a long time has passed and things are no longer what they're supposed to be. The girl is lost, and although there's firm ground under her feet, it's like she's still adrift in the ocean. She's met with love, understanding and a willingness and patience to teach her all that she missed. And the girl grows grateful and loved and eager to learn everything she could about this new country. But despite all that, she still felt alone. She loved and was loved. Bonded with many people. But no one really understood her loss, understood _her_. And over the years she looked and looked for someone who'd understand. While doing all that she could to make her new home a better place and never forgetting the legacy of her own country, her original culture always present in her. And then one day she found someone. And she doesn't know yet if she finally found the one who'll truly _understand_ her, but she knows they're worth the fight." By the end Lena's already heavy on Kara, her breathing deep and calm.

"Who- that's so cute. Who's the girl? And who's the one who undersss…" Lena mumbles but isn't able to keep herself awake to hear Kara's answer. Kara is thankful that for once Lena isn't hyper alert to everything around her and didn't get the obvious truth of this story. She kisses the top of Lena's head.

"It's you." She whispers against Lena's hair and lets herself drift off to sleep as well.


	9. Should I Stay Or Should I Go? P2

Lena stirs and blinks awake; she's still tucked under Kara's chin, their legs tangled and her arms still wrapped around Kara. Lena tries to move and needles shoot through her arms and she grunts.

"Uuuuuuurh. Ow, ow, ow. I can't feel my arms." Lena tries to slide her numb arms from under Kara, but the later shoots up immediately, freeing Lena, eyes wide and still trying to adjust to daylight.

"What happened? Are you hurt? Where are your arms?" Kara's frantically checking the room, her glasses sat a bit crooked on her face.

"They're right here! Gosh, Kara, chill. They're just numb." Lena starts moving her arms to return the blood flow to them. Kara scoots on her knees to face Lena and grabs one of her arms and starts massaging it to help quicken the process. "You slept with your glasses on?" Lena raises an eyebrow.

"Uh, well, I forgot to take them off."

"Okay…"

"Um, thanks for last night, it was really fun. It was nice." Kara says with a smile.

"Thank _you_. And thanks for letting Kate come." Lena says while still working on her blood flow.

"Well, I'm sure Alex will be thanking _you_ for bringing her." Lena snorts at that and they both start laughing.

"And when we got here…" Lena trails off, unsure if she should touch the matter, and bites her lip.

"Yea…" Kara smiles softly at Lena, moving from the arm she was massaging to do the same with the other.

"Thanks," they say at the same time. Their eyes lock for a moment and then flicked away in embarrassment, both blushing. Kara takes her hands away from Lena and tucks them between her thighs to stop herself from fidgeting. Lena starts turning the ring on her thumb to distract herself for a moment.

"Well, let's get some breakfast." Lena says now that her heartbeat was starting to regain its proper pace and slides off the bed, not caring to pull her sweater down. Kara tries very hard not to stare as Lena walks away, her cheeks not losing their blush because of the view. Lena stops and turns around, "you coming or what?" and there's the full vision of Lena with only that Supergirl sweater over her red underwear, running her fingers through her messy hair - and _that_ did **things** to Kara and gave her **thoughts** that she cursed and scolded herself for. _Not now._

"Uh, yea, 'course." Her once barely blushing cheeks now red. Kara hops off the bed and follows Lena to the kitchen with a dry mouth.

Once Kara starts cooking, Lena goes put some shorts on, which Kara thought would help, but really didn't do much for her sanity since they were rather short loose shorts, green with 'Slytherin' splayed in white across its back. They're eating eggs with bacon and pancakes with honey and whipped cream, each with their coffee, and Eddie silently laid on Lena's lap.

"So, the story you told me last night… how did it go again?" Lena asks with attentive eyes. Kara chokes on her pancakes and takes a big gulp of her coffee to help her. "You okay?"

"Yea," Kara works at properly swallowing the pancake still stuck in her throat. "Just swallowed the wrong way." Lena looks at her for one moment longer, but then decides to trust Kara's indeed fine.

"Is just…" Lena thinks of what word she should use. "I'm remembering bits and pieces. The girl losing her country, history, culture. Lost, even on solid land. Her initial purpose gone. Then there's something about… love and loneliness…" Lena bites her lip expectant and hopeful.

"I honestly don't remember. At all. Not even a bit. I was too tired to keep it mind." _No way I'm telling her. She's sober now and would certainly be able to figure it out. She can't know. It's too dangerous._

"Oh, okay." Lena says, her face too blank for Kara to read it.

Once they finish up, Lena puts Eddie on the floor and goes clean up everything, Kara tries to object, but Lena doesn't let her because she cooked all by herself, so, "no way, Kara". Kara stands back, fidgeting, for precisely a second and a half before she jolts to do something.

"I'm gonna change Eddie's water, food bowl and litter box." Kara says, already knowing where everything was because of the x-ray scan she did the previous time she was there. Lena sighs and rolls her eyes.

"Kara, don't. I'll do it later." Lena says, but she's distracted washing the dishes, so before she knows it Kara already changed Eddie's water and food bowls and cleaned his litter box. When Lena notices there was more movement around her than there should be, it's too late and she's only able to catch Kara sitting on the floor with Eddie on her lap, gnawing her fingers as they played. _God._ The sight melts Lena; Eddie never really liked any sort of visitors, not that they got any, but the one time visitors on lonely nights usually had to be wary of the black cat that would glare at them until they left. "Wanna go watch tv or something?" Kara tears her eyes away from the cat chewing her fingers and looks up at Lena with a delighted grin and nods.

"He's so cute. I love him." Kara says standing up and bringing Eddie with her. Lena stares at Kara wide eyed, "what? Did I do- say something wrong?"

"No, it's just… I'm literally the only person he lets carry him without food bribery." That only makes Kara's smile grow wider.

"That's because we get along, right Eddie?" Kara delicately pokes at the cat in her arms. Eddie holds Kara's hand with his paws, clawing at her skin but leaving no scratch; he's chewing a bit hard on her finger, but his green eyes stare at Kara's attentively. _He knows._ Kara smiles at him. _Apparently I'm the perfect toy, I'll never break, right you cute boy?_ She wiggles her finger a bit to tease him, but his eyes never leave hers. "I'm sure it's 'cause I have tasty fingers, right you pretty boy?" Kara giggles, but Lena is still a bit in awe.

"O-kay. This is weird and we're gonna watch some tv before I start getting jealous." Lena says, not knowing exactly who she'd be jealous of. _Probably both_. And they go to the couch, each sitting on one side, their legs meeting in the middle. Once they're settled Eddie leaves Kara and stretches himself to Lena, rolling over to show her his belly, stretching more and scratching at her feet. "Oooh, good one Eddie. _Now_ you come here, huh? I don't want you anymore." Lena says in fake hurt. Eddie meows at her, rubbing his face on her leg and slowly makes his way up to her belly, purring. When Lena starts petting him, Eddie gives a purred meow and drops himself on her belly making Lena smile with endearment. Kara on her end smiled sweetly at the scene. _Hmmm, maybe_ I _should get a kitty._ Lena turns the tv on the news channel and they watch as Lena absentmindedly strokes Eddie. But then Lena gets bored of the news and turns to Kara. "Aren't you gonna call Alex or Winn to see how they're doing? I'm impressed you haven't already." Honestly, she expected Kara to call all of them at the same time. Kara takes her phone out to check the time.

"It's only 9 right now. After how much they drank last night that'd be too early to call. I did leave a text for both of them to contact me to let me know they're okay." Kara answers with a smile.

"Oh, alright." And they go back to watching the news, but really nothing is really happening. "So, I was thinking, since you told me a bedtime story, I should return the favour."

"What you're gonna make me sleep right now?" Lena laughs.

"No, you told me a story and I think the best way to repay that is with another story. This one though… this one is special; it's one of the most sad and at the same time most beautiful stories I've ever heard. It's one of the few things I still remember of the orphanage. The story." Well, there's no way Kara wouldn't hold on to that. _Lena's opening up!_

"Oh… sad and beautiful?" _Like you,_ "Sounds like I'm gonna get my heart broken." Lena chuckles and Kara smiles at the sound of her laugh.

"We'll see about that. You wanna hear it, then?"

"Yes!"

"Alright, this is how it goes:

This story is about a rose, a boy, a girl and a bird. Tis a story of hope, a story of sacrifice, a story of loss, but mostly and over all things, a story of love.

You see, many, many years ago, when there were still horse ridden carriages on the street, there was a boy. He wasn't poor, but neither could he or his family afford anything to show off wealthiness they did not possess. He lived with his parents and siblings in a humble house. He helped his mother with her garden and studied hard because one day he would for sure be a true business man.

And then there was the girl. Oh, the girl…" Lena sighs dreamily as if to make a point. "He would watch her walk past him. They didn't really talk, they'd mostly sit next to each other in the library and study for hours on end, sometimes help each other. More than being a business man, the boy wanted to take the girl to the city's annual ball. Nothing in the world would make him happier.

And up on the mango tree, there's a bird and it sighs and it sings. Looking at the boy and looking at the girl. It all made for a great love story, it'd say. The tree would grunt back to leave them. They didn't care for the bird, so neither should it for them. But then the bird would watch the boy working. He's head resting on a hand after endless hours of studying. His body crouching or bent over the garden, his gentle hands nurturing the flowers and vegetables in his mother's garden. He managed to bring some sick flowers back to life. But the red rose bush… the red rose was barely alive, and the boy, he would do everything to bring her back, but the rose payed his efforts no mind.

One day, about a month before the grand ball, the boy musters all courage he possesses, cleans up his hands and face, changes into his best clothes, combs his hair as nicely as he can and strides with confidence to the rich part of the city. The further he walks the more self conscious he becomes about his clothes because his nicest clothes were barely a daily attire for those in this neighborhood. But no matter that! He had confidence this would work! It's alright, he'd think to himself as he held onto the humble bouquet of lilies in his hands.

The boy steps up to the house's porch and knocks four times, and within a few minutes she's before him, striking all thought or breath out of him. He greets her by name and asks her to give him the honour of attending the ball with her. The girl looks him up and down and doesn't seem too displeased with what she sees.

"And what will I get in return for giving you such honour?" she asks. The boy, wishing he could offer her a golden necklace or a pretty brooch, has nothing that matters in that neighborhood to offer her. So he extends his arms offering the lilies and says that whatever she wants, it will be hers.

The girl knows he would never be able to afford half a proper gift. From the marks in the bouquet and the boy's gentle hands, she knows those flowers come from his garden instead of bought at a flower shop, meaning his gift, for it to be fair, had to be home made.

"A red rose." She finally says. "The brightest, most beautiful red rose there is. Give it to me, and I will accompany you to the ball." The boy beams with joy, promising her he would. Oh, how he would! It's time to resurrect the red rose bush in his garden because he would never afford the prettiest red rose in a flower shop. And surely he'd make it happen!

The bird watched from the mango tree as the boy worked night and day, trying to nurture the roses back to life, but nothing ever worked. The bird watched the girl stop walking by his house. The bird watched the boy grow tired and desperate. And then finally, a day before the ball, the boy gave up. There was no way that bush would ever come to life, so he buries himself in his studies and tries to forget the girl that gave him a chance he'd never be able to take. The bird flies down to his window, calling him chirpily, begging him not to give up, but all the boy does is close the window. There is no hope. The chance is gone.

The bird flies over to the red rose bush, decided that even if the boy has given up, it wouldn't. All the while, his friend the mango tree grumbles, warning him that none that get too invested in humans have happy endings. But the bird, as it is of its nature, pays the tree no mind and starts picking at the rose bush trying to wake it. The bush stirs, it stretches, it grunts and it coughs." Lena stretches and grunts and coughs as she narrates, giving the dialogue different tones according to who's speaking.

"What is it?" It asks tiredly. Filled with joy, the bird asks the rose bush to give him one red rose. But the bush could not. "I have grown old and dry, there is nothing I can do for you, little bird." But then the bird says the rose is not for it, it's for the boy. The boy that cared for the bush and tried to heal it everyday. "Indeed, he does. But there's still nothing I can do for either of you." The bird nags and sings and begs until it says it. "Anything! I will do anything for one red rose." The bush warned the bird that was no small promise, for what the bush needed to recover and give the boy a red rose was no small request, and once done, there was no coming back. But the bird wanted to help the boy no matter what.

The bush tells the bird, "Once the moon is up and bright in the sky, you must pierce your heart with one of my thorns and you must sing your most beautiful melody until the sun rises. Only then will I recover from this sickness and gift the boy with a red rose." The bird is struck with surprise and the tree grumbles that it told the bird to not get invested on the humans. But when the moon is high and bright in the sky, the bird is at the rose bush, piercing his heart with a thorn and starts singing. The bird sings and sings and sings. But the pain grows strong and its voice grows week. Its voice starts fading out but the bush encourages it saying the sun was only a few minutes away. And then there is light. "You have done your part little bird, now I'll do mine." The bush grits and struggles but there's the flow of life in it again. The bush focuses and directs this newly acquired life and there grows a single red rose, beautiful and unique, red as only blood could be. With that sight above it, the bird lets itself slide off the thorn and with peace in its torn heart, falls on the dirt." Lena waits a beat, watching Kara who's attentively looking at Lena, her eyes showing all her emotions about the story.

"That morning the boy rises with hope for nothing but rejection, but when he's out to water the plants he sees it. A single red rose in the dead rose bush. Like a miracle, the bush had being cured! The boy rushes to the bush and carefully takes the rose for himself. He bathes and gets dressed and runs to the girl's house. From over her shoulder he can see she has company, but nothing would strike his hopes down! If the rose was given to him in a miracle, it meant that this was meant to be! He offers her the rose, beaming. She never takes it, rejecting his request to take her to the ball. He argues that he did exactly what she asked for.

"There isn't one rose more beautiful than this in this whole city. You can look!" But still she says no. Though it was what she had asked for, he couldn't ever afford a carriage to take her, nor golden lines in his shoes like the boy in the living room behind her could. Anger fueled, the boy strides away and in rage throws the rose aside.

And so, this love story ends. With a boy with a broken heart, a rose being smashed and run over by horse hooves and carriage wheels, and a happy bird drying on the dirt." Lena stops, hands on her thighs, green eyes glassed over as the story plays itself before them.

"Wow." Kara didn't cry but she's definitely teary. "That _was_ sad _and_ beautiful. Woa" Lena gives her a small smile.

"Yea… it's always been my favourite." And then her smile widens as she locks her eyes on Kara, "maybe if I remember your story it'll turn out to be my new favourite."

"Oh, pfffff, I doubt it. Please."

"You're a great writer, Kara. You're talented and you have a wonderful mind. I'm sure whatever story, made up in a moment or thoroughly thought out for hours, would be wonderful when told by you." Kara smiles sheepishly at Lena and starts thinking of some questions she'd like to ask about the story. Lena bites her lip and is about to sit up and move closer to Kara when there's a buzzing and Kara jumps. She reaches for her phone.

"Oh, it's Alex. Give me a minute. Hey, Alex." Lena leans back keeping her pout under control. _Seriously? Everytime…_

"Kara. Hey."

"How are you?"

"Um, I'm alright. Is Lena there?"

"Uh, yea… you wanna ta-"

"No! No, I was just wondering if her friend, um, Kate, um, was coming back anytime soon 'cause, um… she forgot something here."

"It has nothing to do with you wanting to see her again?" Lena sort of gets what's going on and has wide grin on her face. _Seriously, Kate?_

"What? No! Like, yea, it was fun. Would I do it again? Definitely. But like, I know it wasn't anything _serious_. Can't you just ask her pls. I would like to not keep her, um, thing around, y'know…"

"Gimme a sec. Lena, Alex wants to know when Kate's coming back 'cause she forgot something and Alex doesn't wanna keep it around- Wait, are you gonna make me ask Lena if she can keep it?"

"Please."

"I'm not keeping it."

"She's not keeping it."

"But it's her friend's!"

"I don't care if Kate's my friend, I had nothing to do with why or what she left behind" Lena guesses Alex's argument and starts guessing all the possible things Kate could've left behind. "And she should be back in two weeks to review the data of our projects."

"Um, okay. Lena said she'll be back in two weeks."

"Okay. Two weeks. I can do two weeks. Um, say thanks to Lena. And then you gotta tell me how last night was."

"Okay, and you most definitely do not have to tell me about _your_ night. Alex says thanks." Alex scoffs as Lena chuckles.

"She's _very_ welcome." Lena winks at Kara.

"Oh my god. Lena says you're _very_ welcome." Both Lena and Kara are grinning and snickering while Alex is looking for a hole to bury herself in.

"For fuck's sake. You two are impossible. In many ways. Like how are you not a couple yet? Even worse, how haven't you even _kissed_?" Kara freezes and quickly looks at Lena to see if there was any chance she heard Alex.

"Alex! Um. Alex! Not the right time and definitely none of your business." Alex starts cackling. Lena looks at Kara funny, asking her 'what is it?' with her eyes, but Kara just looks away blushing.

"Okay, I got my revenge. I'll see you later."

"Bye, love you. But right now not so much." Alex giggles.

"Love you too." And Alex hangs up and goes back to staring at the black lace tights on her living room floor. _What the fuck am I gonna do? Where can I put you so I don't have to see you for two whole weeks?_

"Is she pissed?" Lena asks as Kara puts her phone away.

"No, just frustrated." Lena presses her lips together.

"She doesn't like me, does she?"

"Lena! C'mon. Like, she's uber fond of you. And she's like still a bit suspicious-" Lena grunts.

"Gives. What I get for being a Luthor."

"But!" Kara tries to ignore her comment, "that's okay. It's a work in progress. And you're _my_ friend, not hers. And I trust you and care about you and support you-that's what matters, not that Alex's still grumpy." Lena's slight pout turns into a soft smile. _You're too good, Kara. too sweet._ Lena wants to say it, but never does.

"Alright." Lena says still smiling. They look at each other for a few seconds and Lena's heartbeat starts accelerating, _oh boy, not good_. "Um, so, if you have to go, feel free to." Lena says keeping her voice neutral.

"What? No, I don't have to go. It's Sunday, Lena. I'll only _have_ to go if I get an emergency call. Especially if it's about Winn, I think I've never seen him drink _that_ much. If not, I'm all yours for the _whole_ day." Kara says smiling reassuringly. Lena gets a wolfish grin on her lips and Kara gulps. _Wait, what did I say? Why- why-why is she smiling like_ _ **that**_ _?_

"So… you're _all mine_ for a _whole_ day? There's so many _things_ we could _do_ …" Kara goes beet red and wishes the couch would swallow her. Lena sees herself crawling over to Kara, gently settling her hips between Kara's legs and kissing her softly… barely. And then Lena shakes her head, shooing the thought away. _No way that's gonna happen. Like she'd be up for it, especially with a_ Luthor. Lena grabs one oh the pillows on her couch and throws it at Kara, hitting her on the face. "You're entirely too cute and easy to tease."

"Well I-!" _Gosh, she's gonna be the death of me_. Kara stutters, huffs and puffs and turns away hugging the pillow Lena threw at her face. Lena grunts, gets up and walks away. _Oh no. what did I do? Is she mad? Did I upset her? Oh no, she's gonna kick me out. Maybe I should just leave. Maybe I should-_ "Oof," Kara's hit on the face with something soft and voluminous, she pushes it away from her face to find herself practically covered in a very, very soft, fluffy, thick blanket; and Lena is back on the couch.

"Wanna watch a movie?" Karaa smiles, nodding and stretched the blanket but it's not quite enough to reach Lena. "What movie?"

"Do you have Love Actually?"

"I most definitely do." Lena gets up to get the movie in the DVD player. "You want me to get some snacks before we play the movie." Lena says knowing Kara's probably getting a bit hungry by now.

"Yea, sure." Kara tries to play it cool, as if she wasn't already starting to feel the hint of hunger in her belly. Lena goes to the kitchen and grabs a bag of M&M's and gives it to Kara; she sits down and starts the movie.

"Come here." Kara says smiling timidly as she lifts the blankets so Lena can tuck herself against Kara. there's a moment of hesitation, but then Lena scoots and tucks herself against Kara.

The movie goes by, every now and then they'd reach for the M&M's at the same time sending sparks and shivers through them. At some point, Lena no longer knows if it's really happening by accident or if she's starting do it on purpose, just to feel the shot of electricity that runs through her every time their skins touch. Kara gets all teary on the part when Karen finds out Harry was practically about to cheat on her. And when there's about five minutes left of the movie, Kara's phone buzzes. She ignores it, but Lena gets that uncomfortable feeling of when you know someone has to leave, but they won't say it just yet, but you _know_ they'll leave. Although Lena stiffens for a second, she decides to enjoy the end properly and lets herself melt against Kara. Kara wraps an arm around Lena's shoulder and holds her tighter against herself for the last minutes of the film. Once the movie ends and the credits start rolling they don't pull apart. Kara barely moves to grab her phone and read the message. It was Mon-El and he needed help - Winn was crying and he didn't know what to do since apparently he had something to do with it. _'What did you do to him?' 'Me? Nothing! He just woke up, asked me what happened last night, I told him, he asked a few questions and started crying. He cried last night too. Please come over, he won't let me into his bedroom so I don't know what to do and I'm not gonna break in.'_ Kara sighs. _'I'm on my way.'_

"You need to go."

"Yea, I'm sorry. Winn's… in a bad shape apparently." Lena smiles smugly.

"I told him there was no way he could keep up with me. I do hope he gets better soon."

"Yea, I'll find out." A beat goes by in silence. Then another. And a third one. "Lena, um, I need to get up and you're, um, on me."

"Right. Sorry. You're just so comfortable." Lena smiles at Kara and stretches her neck up to kiss Kara's blushing cheek. Then she moves away from Kara and pulls the blanket with her. Kara goes change and while she's doing that, Lena tidies the living room. "You want me to take you downstairs?"

"Nah, it's okay. Talk to you later?" Kara asks hopeful.

"Yea, definitely." Kara beams and gives Lena a quick kiss on the cheek. She gets one last look of Lena wearing a Supergirl sweater and Slytherin short and practically skips down the hall. Lena leans against the door after closing it and grunts. _I'm gonna go crazy._

Kara gets to Winn's apartment in less than 10 minutes and knocks on his door careful not to accidentally break it. Mon-El opens for her looking rather concerned and a little bit confused.

"Ok, tell me _exactly_ what happened. No details left out. I hope there's no need for details to be left out. Why did he cry? And I swear, if you hurt him-" Her tone grows angrier by the word.

"I didn't! And, um, I don't know exactly why he cried." Mon-El gives her an apologetic smile and Kara rolls her eyes.

"Rao help me. Okay, what happened when you left the dive last night?"

"Ok. I brought him home. We got a, um, uber? And then I was trying to put him to bed but he was just blabbing and like not letting me go. I took his shoes off and when I was trying to tuck him in, oh I got the bucket for him, so I was trying to tuck him in and he would _not_ let go of me and then asking me stuff, most of it I didn't understand. Some where like 'why are you so pretty?' And then 'why is Kate so pretty?' 'did you like Kate?' 'why is everyone so pretty?' And I was like 'I feel you dude. Everyone's so pretty and nice and good. I completely understand you. But you need to let me go so you can sleep it off.' And then he…" Mon-el bites his lip unsure of whether he should continue. Kara raises her eyebrows waiting for him to continue.

"He what, Mon?"

"He sat up and kissed me. And like _immediately_ after he just started sobbing and wailing and I tried to calm him down but he wouldn't! And then he threw up, mostly in the bucket. I've cleaned it all up. Vomit is gross." Kara's dumbstruck, this was absolutely new for her. Like, since when did Winn feel like that? Why didn't he tell her?

"He what?"

"He kissed me, and then he cried, and then he threw up."

"And now? Is he awake? Is he ok?"

"He was awake when I last checked and that was like 10 minutes ago. I don't know about ok though. This morning when he woke up he asked me to tell him what happened and because he cried so much I wasn't sure he would like to hear about him kissing me, so I just told him I brought him home and made sure he slept without drowning in his own vomit. And then he asked me if he had kiss me, so I said yes because he did. And he started crying again and asked me why didn't I tell him that at first and I was like 'cause you were really upset about it last night I thought you should get a break. And it's okay dude, like you kissed me, big deal. People kiss other people all the time. Especially when drunk'." Kara sighs, bring her hand up to her forehead, covering her eyes.

"Oh no. Poor Winn…"

"What, for kissing me?!"

"No you goof." Kara pushes him playfully. "For feeling so lost. This probably has been building up for a while. I'm gonna talk to him. Wait for me here. Do NOT leave." Mon-El nods repeatedly to show he understood and would listen. Kara knocks on the door and opens it just a little.

"Hey, Winn. It's Kara. May I come in?"

"Not like I could stop you if I didn't want you to." Kara grunt audibly.

"I'm not walking in if you don't want me to. Do you want me to come in?" There's a moment of silence before Winn speaks again.

"Yes." And his voice grows thin as a sob clogs his throat.

"Ow, Winn…" Kara walks in and is struck with an actually clean room. Even the bucket next to Winn's bed was clean. And on the bedside table there's 5 piled up newly bought tissues boxes and all sort of for-hangover-pills. _Wow, character development is totally a thing in real life._ Kara sits next to Winn on his bed and starts rubbing her hand up and down his upper arm. "You're okay. It's okay." He turns to her. "You wanna tell me what happened?" Winn shoots up and hugs Kara tightly as he starts crying again and Kara hugs back rubbing up and down his back. "Shhh, it's ok. You're ok."

"No it's not." He says in between sobs. "I kissed him."

"Yea, he told me." Winn sits back. "I thought he had hurt you or something. So you know, he had to tell me or I would've blown him up. And it's ok. It's okay that you did it. You didn't harm anyone and he's clearly not mad about it."

"Do you think- do you think I ruined what we had going on? Like, I really like him. He's a cool dude. He's nice even though he clearly needs improvement. And he's improved since he got here."

"True." Kara agrees nodding.

"So like, I started like, y'know, thinking and like I don't know if it's just in my head or actually happening. Like I don't know. Since when am I attracted to guys? Like I can tell if a guy is hot or not, but that only takes eyes. I've just been feeling a bit confused and- uugh! Why did I have to go and complicate things?"

"Okay, I have a better set of questions for the situation. You wanna hear it?" Winn nods. "Alright, first: why didn't you come to me for help? I'm your best friend, I could've helped you feel more sure or at least calmed you down enough so you could figure things out. I understand that you could be scared, but that's okay. Also, you know a few people who are very comfortable with their sexuality, we could've helped you. Second: Why did kissing him make you cry? And third: Why in hell did you think you could keep up with Alex and Lena's drinking pace?! I'm surprised you didn't go into like alcohol coma or something! Now one by one."

"Ok. Third: I thought drinking would like drown everything and I wouldn't say or do anything stupid."

"Ok, since when does drinking excessively makes someone _not_ act stupid?"

"Ey! Desperate thoughts lead to desperate actions. Second: I cried because I thought 'great Winn, now you fucked it up and he's gonna distance himself from you'. And first: You had a lot on your plate already I didn't want to… I don't know. And you were also very worked up about Lena and everything going on-" Kara moves her hand in a 'cut it out' way making Winn shut up.

"He's been here since last night. Taking care of you, cleaning up your room… he didn't leave and he's worried. That doesn't look like distancing from you to me. Also, you kissed me, Mon-El kissed me, I kissed James and we're all still friends, right? So there's nothing to worry about. We're here for you. And honestly, Winn? When do I not have a lot on my plate? I always have a lot going on and that never keeps me from caring about any of you. Sure, I was worked up about Lena, but, to be honest here, when am I not? That woman is just so- Like, why is she like that?" Kara lets out an exasperated sight. "So next time you're freaking out, talk to me, alright?" Winn nods.

"I'll take a shower. Then I'm gonna talk to him."

"Ok, you want me to stay?"

"No, it's fine. I'm okay now. Thank you Kara." He hugs Kara tightly, and she returns it.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Kara says walking towards the door. Winn nods as he gets off the bed.

"How is he?" Mon-El asks as soon as Kara's out of the room.

"Better. He's gonna shower and then he wants to talk to you."

"Ok. Is he mad at me? Like, did I do something wrong? I think it would've been wrong for me to kiss him 'cause he was beyond drunk, like, what was I supposed to do?"

"It's ok, Mon. You didn't do anything wrong. He's just… he's not used to any of this and is, or was, having a hard time coming to terms with it. So be patient, alright?"

"Yea, definitely. "This" is that sexuality thing everyone here has an issue with?"

"Uh, yea. Alright. I'll see you tomorrow and kick your ass."

"Don't think so, you're growing soft on me after you and Lena had 'the talk'. That wasn't really much 'cause still haven't gotten anywhere with her." Mon-el teases her.

"I'm gonna change that then. Now I'm gonna kick your ass real hard. And _you_ will be going places. Like the moon, or maybe Venus."

"I should've stayed quiet."

"As usual." Kara chuckles and leaves. _'Hey, you want me to come over?'_ Kara texts Alex. _'Are you still with Lena?' 'No. I had to leave to check on Winn.' 'Okay, then I do want you to come. I. I think I need to talk this out with someone cause it isn't working just doing it in my head.' 'Don't worry. I'll be there in 10 max.'_ And Kara takes off.

Kara walks in Alex's apartment and finds her staring at her tv on the news channel.

"Hey, Alex."

"Hey… Nothing is happening. I was hoping something would happen and the DEO would call us to solve it."

"You want something to distract you… I get it." Kara drops on the couch and sees the cup of whisky in Alex's hand. The bottle was at the kitchen's counter, probably to demotivate her to get another glass since she'd have to get up from her very comfortable position in the couch. "I want something to distract me too."

"Can you tell me how things went for you and I'll tell you mine, and explain this," Alex shakes her cup to indicate the whisky, "I promise you, I won't give details on… y'know."

"Deal. But we can just go straight ahead and talk about what's going on there," Kara pokes Alex's head.

"Nah, I wanna hear about your night. The way Lena was all over you, it must've been interesting at least." Alex says, a smile tugging at her lips. Kara chuckles.

"Yea, I guess so. She actually didn't try to jump my bones at first." Alex raises her eyebrows in surprise. "Yea… we went to her place and she lent me some pajamas, well, shirt, cause she doesn't sleep with pants on, so I got one of her sweatpants."

"No pants, huh. _Sexy._ "

"Alex!" Kara throws a pillow at her sister.

"Hey! Careful, almost spilled my drink."

" _Anyways_ , I went to change and she- and-" Kara bites her lip trying to control her blush at the memory of Lena wearing that freaking Supergirl sweater to sleep. Alex looks at her attentively, moving her hand to gesture Kara to continue. "Um, she bought a Supergirl, and she confirmed it was Supergirl merchandise-she was wearing a Supergirl sweater to sleep. And like that was basically all she was wearing apart from her underwear and-" Kara hugs a pillow and buries her face in it and groans as Alex's jaw drops.

"Oh man, that must've done things to you. Were you even able to function? And like, was she doing it on purpose? Wait, does she know you're Supergirl?!" Kara looks back up at Alex.

"No she doesn't know. I haven't told her. And she hasn't said anything, like Cat that other time. And no, I was definitely not functioning properly. I dropped my clothes on the floor, I drank a whole cup of water in less than 5 seconds, I stuttered and blabbed like a moron, it was horrible. Like great. But awful. And _then_ she started getting like flirty but I still wasn't functioning so it didn't work as she planned, probably. If she planned anything 'cause she was really drunk. But then again, this is Lena, she can probably find scientific breakthrough while under excessive amounts of alcohol." Kara stops and takes a deep breath.

"I'm glad you stopped, you were starting to turn purple from talking so fast without breathing."

"Yea. She makes me really nervous and like, she flirts a lot but I never know if it's friendly flirting or _actual_ flirting. And like I could try and ask her out, which would definitely put an end to this question, but then a lot stuff got in the way. The picture, the misunderstandings with Kate, which I would've been able to see it was nothing if I wasn't so hard headed. And she just-" Kara grunts in frustration raising her hands in the air dramatically. "Like I can't talk. She gives me one look or just says right about anything nice, which she does all the time, and there, that's all she needs to make a stuttering mess out of me. It's so unfair. She can talk just fine when I'm around." Alex was smiling widely, but biting the inside of her cheek not to laugh. "And what if this whole flirting is because maybe she _knows_ , she knows I _like_ like her and she thinks the only way to keep me around is by feeding this- this crush; and she wants that because I'm her only friend in National City. Literally. She thinks Supergirl is her friend too, but guess what, I'm her too!"

"Ok, stop, take breath and let me talk so you can get some time to calm down. I'd offer you whisky but that gives you nothing but a disgusted face. Get your shit together Kara. This woman is head over heels for you. She _likes_ likes you. I don't think she's doing it just to keep a friend around, and if she were I'd beat her ass. And-"

"I know." Kara interrupts Alex, unknowing to the growing serious expression on the latter's face. "It's just that- when I'm with her everything is perfect. Sure, I'm blushing 90% of the time and stuttering through most of my sentences, but I don't feel so insecure. When she's there I know it's all good. It's okay. I can see it in her eyes-she wants me around. But like, I can't always remind myself of that. I'm just- I'm afraid of having it all snatched away from me again. Every time something, or someone new comes into my life and I want it to stay, I always get that fear of suddenly everything being taken away. Not just her, but everything. You, Winn, Eliza, National City."

"Hey hey hey, you're not gonna lose us." Alex leaves her cup aside and holds Kara's hands in hers. "We're here. And we're not going anywhere. You know we'll fight with all we got if we have to. But we're not going anywhere." _I don't know about Lena, but now is not the time to point out how I still think she might be hiding something_. Alex waits until Kara nods, pouting, in understanding. "Alright, good. Now what is this about a picture and "misunderstandings" with Kate?" Kara's eyes go wide when she notices her mistake and she pulls her hands away from Alex's.

"I- I- I-" Alex raises her eyebrows as if saying a rather aggressive 'please, do continue.' "Um, remember that night I came into the DEO from that corner store robbery and I had I little bit of Lena's lipstick on my cheek." Alex sighs a bit exasperated at the memory.

"Yea. How could I forget the time Supergirl saved a bunch of people and helped the cops catch some dudes, while she had lipstick on her face, and not on the right place." Kara blushes a bit.

"Yea, well, that night someone from one of the neighbouring buildings took a picture of Lena and I."

"How the hell did he get a picture of you two _in_ her office?"

"Uh, no. Um, we were out…"

"So you were at her balcony. How romantic."

"Uh, um, well, not exactly. You see we, um, I, well…" Alex fixes a glare on Kara, "um, maybe 'up' is a, um- better word?" Kara bites her lip waiting for realization to dawn on Alex, which didn't take long.

"YOU FLEW WITH HER?" Kara gives her an awkward grin. "You, _Supergirl_ , took Lena freaking _Luthor_ out for a flight? Y'know, just to chill in the air and watch the fucking stars, so **everyone** can see you, just so all the **dangerous** people in the city know **who** to **target** when they wanna get to you!"

"Well, it wasn't exactly like that. She needed fresh air and well, um, it was more like hovering, and-" Alex glares at Kara again, shutting her up.

"What happened to the picture?"

"Only I have it in a usb."

"What about the source?"

"He sold it to James, or more accurately, to CatCo. James gave it to me, Winn tracked down the dude and hacked his computer and erased the copies he still had. He didn't sell it to anyone else, so all is good." Alex was still half glaring at Kara.

"You're so absolutely reckless! You need to _think_ **before** doing shit!" Kara stutters, but then she just frowns and pouts, hugging a pillow, leaning back against the couch arm and turns away from her sister. Alex grunts, pressing her palms against her eyes. "Okay, fine. The past is past and this is over and done with and I hope it doesn't come back to bite your stupid ass. Now, um, what is this about Kate?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just that Kate has all that- well, y'know the way she holds herself. And like I saw how comfortable Lena and Kate were around each other and Lena gets so happy when Kate's there; I started over-thinking it 'cause I didn't know they were friends. So I was upset and pretty much shut Lena out when she called to clear things up 'cause she heard I didn't look very happy when I saw Kate walking out of Lena's office with that proud smirk."

"Oh."

"Yea, she was actually picking up the newest prototypes for security surveillance she's testing in Gotham."

"Oh, alright. So it was just you overthinking everything and not really stopping to see what's actually happening."

"Uuuh, yea." Kara gives Alex an apologetic smile. "Now you."

"Right… Ok. It was fun and good. I don't think you want me to tell you why it was sooo g-" a grin starts forming in Alex's face as she starts teasing Kara.

"I _definitely_ do _not_ wanna hear about it."

"Alright." Alex says containing her laughter. "It's just- I knew what I was getting into. She was clear it was a one-time-thing. And like, ok, that's fine by me. But you know when someone just- like they light this spark and it's really strong and fast. Usually burns out fast. You've had that. With, um, what was his name?"

"Uh, I'm pretty sure I had a couple of those. Who? Wait, Adam?"

"Yup, yea, that kid."

"Gosh, Alex, don't. He's Cat's kid and that was weird, I don't even know what was going through my mind."

"Exactly. Nothing was going through your mind 'cause you were in like a rush. That's kinda me right now. I'm just afraid it'll last longer than it should. And like, she forgetting something here just doesn't help 'cause then I have the reminder that I let a hookup get out of hand-in my head 'cause she seemed perfectly fine. So I left it in Maggie's drawer." Kara looks at Alex sadly.

"You still haven't started using that drawer?"

"No. I just got used to not using it. I'm trying to see what I'll do with it. Maybe I'll buy more clothes."

"Okay, that could work. Or it could be a souvenir drawer from work and travels and stuff." Alex hums, pondering on it. There's a moment of silence between them. "Did- did she say goodbye before leaving for the airport or was she not there when you woke up?" Alex stares off, her eyes glazed over.

Kate wakes up, the headache is mild thanks to all the carbs and greasy food Lena and her had before going to meet 'the crew, otherwise it'd be a blinding headache. She moves to get up, but there's an arm around her waist and a leg draped over hers. _Huh, cutie._ Kate smiles to herself and kisses the top of Alex's head and slowly slides herself off the bed, gently resting Alex's head on the pillow, which the latter hugs. Kate scans the room for her clothes. _Underwear? Check. Bra? Check. Dress? Not here_. Kate slides into the items of clothes she had found as she steps out of the room. Kate was always thankful for the skills of being a vigilante gave her, such as being quiet enough to not wake people from direly needed rest. _Oh, there you are!_ Kate spots her dress close to the kitchen counter, her bag on the counter and then her shoes close to the door. _Perfect. I think I got everything._ Kate looks around the kitchen and gets what she needs to make coffee. While she waits, Kate finds a sticky-notes block and a pen. She writes on one before sticking it on the fridge. _Coffee's ready_. Kate grabs a cup to serve the coffee, then another and gets some tap water. She looks through her bag and finds her advil pills, pops one into her mouth and swallows it with the water. She washes the cup, grabs the coffee, a couple more pills and goes back to Alex's bed. As she places the pills and the coffee on Alex's bedside table, the latter stirs and groans.

"My head." Alex buries her face in the pillow she's hugging. Kate smiles.

"I made you some coffee and got you some pills for the headache. Did I wake you up?" Kate leans down a bit and speaks softly.

"No." Alex mumbles into the pillow and then turns to Kate, eyes still half closed. "The drums in my head did that. Thank you, that's very sweet. And I don't know how you guessed coffee helps me with my hangovers; it doesn't work for everyone, y'know?" Kate chuckles.

"Yesterday at the dive you mumbled at some point about how much coffee you'd need the next morning to cure your hangover."

"Oh." Alex eyes were all open now and a discreet smirk grows in her lips. "Y'know what else helps cure hangovers?"

"What?"

"Pretty girls and sex." Alex says as she snatches Kate's hand and pulls her down and over herself to drop her on the bed. Kate squeals in surprise and drops on the bed giggling as she tries to talk, Alex partly on top of her. She smiles widely at the sound and sight of Kate giggling.

"Oh boy. You're fun." Kate calms down and locks eyes with Alex and bites her lip, looking almost bashful. Alex's smile fades away slowly as she leans in and presses her lips against Kate's, who hums into the touch. Alex stretches her arm, that isn't supporting her weight, down and lets her hand slide up Kate's thigh, bringing the dress up with her fingers. Kate breaks the kiss, both their chests heaving slowly as they returned to normal breathing. Kate reaches down and holds Alex's hand; she brings it up and keeps holding it for a bit. "Looks like someone woke up in the mood to play. But, unfortunately, I have a plane to catch." Kate flips their positions with ease, swiftly straddling Alex's hips. Alex gasps in surprise and Kate chuckles at the sounds.

"What?" Alex asks almost wide eyed.

"I gotta go. Have a morning flight back to Gotham and, unlike my cousin, I don't get a private jet that'll wait for me."

"But… you have to go _now_?" Alex pouts a bit.

"Believe me, if I could stay a couple more hours I definitely would. But life's a bitch and I gotta go to Gotham and sucker punch it." Kate leans down, trapping Alex's hands by holding them down by the wrists over Alex's head, and kisses her gently and deeply. "It was fun." Kate winks, "but I do have to go." Kate moves her head up to leave a kiss on Alex's forehead and hops of the bed, releasing Alex completely.

"Okay." Alex sits up on the bed. And sees Kate sliding into her heels. "Goodbye, then." Kate looks at her as she runs her fingers through her hair, fixing its disheveled form and then _that_ smirk starts taking over her slightly swollen lips.

"Bye, tiger." And with a wink, Kate is out the door. As soon as the door closes, Alex drops back on her pillows groaning.

"Life _is_ a bitch." After a few moments Alex sits up again, pops the pills in her mouth and swallows them with a gulp of her coffee. She slides off the bed and goes over her kitchen while sipping her coffee. When she notices there's something different about her fridge. Alex tilts her head to the side, frowning, trying to figure out what it is. _Oh!_ That's when she notices the sticky note. Alex walks over and snatches it from the fridge to read the pretty calligraphy. ' _G'morning tiger. Hope your head isn't exploding too much. I had a plane to catch and didn't want to wake you up. God knows how good sleeping is for hangovers. Thanks for last night. It was a lotta fun. Take care. - K._ ' Alex bites her lips and feels that familiar fluttering feeling and the warmth clutching at her heart. _Ok, Danvers. Chill. It's nothing. It was a one time thing with someone who's an actually good person and you might never see her again. That's it. Chill_. Alex's eyes wonder as she sips her coffee and ignores the fluttery warmth in her; then she spots it on the floor, right next to the couch-Kate's tights. The ones that she looked really sexy on. The ones that took her breath away when she helped Kate out of her dress and saw how it matched her underwear. The ones that she took her sweet, sweet time sliding down Kate's legs, leaving kisses on her pale skin. Alex's heartbeat goes crazy, as the flutter starts knotting her stomach. _Fuck_.

"No, she said goodbye before leaving. Gave me some headache pills and made me a cup of coffee before leaving."

"Oh, that's nice- right?"Kara smiles. "I don't know. I've never-"

"It _was_ nice. They usually just sneak away and if you wake up before that, it can be very awkward. So that was a nice change." Alex says as she watches the ice in her cup move as she twirls the cup. "Maybe that's why. It was something different, caught me by surprise. It'll be gone by the time she comes back to pick up her stuff."

"Yea, I guess. Do you want me to stay with you?"

"No, it's fine. I'm ok. We should get something to eat, though."

"Have you had too much?" Kara asks giving the cup a quick look.

"No. Just this cup. I promise." Kara smiles fondly at her sister and pulls her into a hug before they go eat.

It's late at night, everyone is either asleep or trying to be.

Mon-El is shrunken on Winn's couch, hugging a pillow; he scratches at the pillow with his indicator as he listens to Winn's breathing grow deeper and calmer and hopes to sleep soon, but his eyes don't want to grow heavy, just in case something happens.

Alex is lying on the couch fast asleep, the tv on, on the news channel, an almost empty glass of whisky on the floor right next to the hand hanging from the couch. There's a light snore every time she breathes in, her face half buried on a pillow.

Kara laid awake in her bed, hugging one of her pillows as she used when she felt lonely, but it doesn't work, the bed still feels to empty, too cold. Kara groans and gets up, looking for her favourite hoodie. She slips into it and smells the scent of plumerias, barely detectable, but still present since Lena used it last time she went over. Kara goes back to bed and wraps herself with her blanket and then wraps herself around her pillows, hugging them tightly, hope this will be good enough to help her sleep.

Meanwhile, Lena laid tightly wrapped in her soft blankets. She holds them tightly trying to feel more comfortable… less alone. Suddenly, her queen bed was becoming too big, too empty. But her eyes are too heavy to keep them open and the blankets are almost enough to comfort her; so, slowly, Lena slips away.


	10. Where Are U Now?

Walking into DEO's central, Alex finds Kara, in her Supergirl suit, sitting on a chair facing her friends, feet propped up on a desk, Winn and Mon-El next to her, facing back at her. They're all throwing jokes and occasionally crumpled up used sticky notes at each other. Alex watches amusedly until one hits her in the face and she furiously tries not to laugh as she takes their munition away. After everything, they're alright; Winn managed to calm himself down and is giving himself time to settle down with his new reality, now wanting to go to _every Pride ever_. Mon-El has been pretty calm compared to his usual attitude and he's trying to always be around to help out whenever someone needs it, but especially Winn to make sure that if he needs any support or has any questions he's there to help, especially since he was more than used to the whole "sexuality" thing, even if he didn't still fully get how Earth dealt with it. Alex seems more at peace with the whole "I was dumb enough to crush on my one-night-stand and now I have to deal with it" and she is dealing with it just fine; in one week the whole business would be officially over and she wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. Kara was fidgety, more than usual, like it was a bit too cold for her liking and she needed to keep on moving to keep herself comfortably warm. Comparing to how they were the week or even the day before, everyone was acting a bit differently, like something changed overnight. Like when you have a dream-no matter if it was the "it felt real" or was an absolute abstract shitshow sort of dream-that just _changes_ the way you see something or someone - makes you wake up and feel like you need to go about it in a different way. It's almost like something like that happened, though if you asked them, they'd most likely tell you they don't recall what they dreamed of which would be mostly true, except for Kara. Kara mostly had the same dream when she did dream. Krypton.

Lena was on the back seat being driven back to L Corp by her driver, James. She had just left a conference to divulge the new ways L Corp had found to better use clean energy. They stop at the traffic due to a red light and a few seconds later a group of men come out of an alley, all masked, wearing thick jackets and pants, machine guns ready to be fired. They surround the car quickly and unleash their bullets on the car. The bullets thunder against metal and glass, deafening, threatening to break in; luckily it was a mostly armored car so it'd take a while before a bullet could find it's way inside the car. Lena's heart goes from 10 to 100 as fast as light and what seemed like a good day now looks like it might be her last. As she slides down the seat so she isn't near the window's reach, Lena wishes it wasn't James driving her that day, actually she wished none of the L Corp drivers would drive her into this kind of situation, she'd rather be driving herself, though that probably meant being blown to bits because _her_ car wasn't really made to resist bullets.

"GET DOWN MISS LUTHOR!" James shouts just as Lena slides down and as he drops his body as well, trying to protect his head from any possible incoming bullet. This is the kind of situation in which everything goes by too fast but you would _swear_ it lasted an eternity. And Lena was sure she spent an eternity listening to every bullet hit against her car and each of them deafening her, making her heart skip a beat to then beat even faster than before. Her knuckles have turned white from her hard grip on the leather seat, hot against her skin: everything turned hot, the seat, the air, her skin, her insides. Her throat wasn't necessarily closing up but it felt like no air would come in, and no matter how much air she inhaled through her nose, there didn't seem to be enough oxygen for her to breathe. And then there's a red streak that speeds around the car and in seconds there's silence followed by muffled groaning brought by pain. Lena stretches her neck, ignoring the silent thumping inside her ears, or her heartbeat threatening to clog her throat or the fact that her body suddenly was cold, the slightest hint of sweat gleaming on her pale skin. She sees Supergirl dragging a few disoriented men by the cuff of their collars to the sidewalk and putting them together as police patrols drive into the scene, their sirens screeching to announce their arrival. When the police runs out of their cars to restrain the criminals, Supergirl is already at Lena's door; she quickly scans the car, seeing both James and Lena seemed to be physically unharmed. Supergirl yanks the back door open, which is so damaged it almost falls off, and leans down into the car.

"Lena. You're safe now." Kara says looking down at Lena who hadn't moved an inch. Kara tries to keep her voice as calm as possible to hide how fast her own heart was beating out of worry for Lena. Lena's eyes are glazed and her hands shaking. Kara gently rests a hand on Lena's shoulder, squeezing lightly, to see how okay Lena is with being touched at the moment. Meanwhile, James sees Supergirl taking care of Ms. Luthor and sighs in relief before kicking the door open and walking out. "Lena, I'm going to hold you now. And then I'm going to help you out of the car, okay?" Kara gives Lena a moment. "The medics just got here and they need to check you up." Kara give Lena another moment before sliding an arm under her knees and another behind her back and pulls her up and out of the care, careful not to hit Lena's head on the car's door frame.

"H- how did they get here so fast?" Lena asks in a hoarse whisper.

"I called them when I heard the shooting." Supergirl whispers back. When they get to the medics they're finishing up with James. He locks eyes with Supergirl and gives a little nod that says, _"thank you"_. Lena is mostly unaware of her surroundings, so when she feels Kara gently letting her go she grasps at her, tightly grabbing the strap of Kara's cape on her shoulder. "Shhh. It's okay. They're just going to check you up. I'm here with you." Kara says sitting Lena on the back of the ambulance and then sits next to Lena. They check her pupils reaction.

"I left my suit jacket and purse in the car." Lena says while she's examined, her voice sounding unnervingly calm, she feels the rough material around her arm tightening as they check her blood pressure. Lena looks at the destroyed car, _huh, at least they still care,_ and the thought almost makes her laugh.

"Okay, I'll get them for you." Kara gets Lena's suit and purse; she places the latter next to Lena and drapes the suit over Lena's shoulders. The medic turns to Supergirl.

"She's good to go. Probably in shock-"

"I'm fine." Lena cuts him off without even looking at either of them.

"Thank you." Kara says to the medic and turns to Lena, she leans down so her face is mostly in Lena's direct field of vision. "Hey," Kara places her hands on Lena's shoulders and rubs up and down her upper arms, "do you want me to take you home?" Lena grabs her bag, resting it on her lap and hugs it as she presses her lips into a thin line.

"I need to go to my office." Yes, she had a lot of work to get done after that conference, but she had the nagging feeling she _had_ to go to her office. _Lex_. The name reverberates in her head. She new she'd find something there. Kara sighs, running her fingers through her hair and looking away for a moment. _Godammit, Lena_.

"Lena…"

"I _need_ to go to my office, Supergirl. I'm going to, whether you take me there or not." Lena almost hisses. Kara turns her head to see James talking to the police officers.

"Alright. I'll take you. Just give me a couple of seconds." Lena chuckles, a smile tugs at her lips and Kara frowns, confused.

"I'll count them." Lena says finally looking up to lock eyes with Kara who gives her a soft smile, glad Lena was okay enough to joke, but also a bit worried she could find humour in herself after almost dying only minutes ago. _I mean she_ is _a Luthor afterall. Some things you just learn for survival's sake. I know plenty about that._ Kara goes talk to the officers and asks them if they needed Lena's testimony, otherwise she'd take her home. The officer says that for now James' testimony is enough and that Ms. Luthor could come in later when she was feeling well enough to provide hers.

"Why did they…" Kara bites her lip in anger, nostrils flaring as she throws a glare at the men that were being shoved into the patrols' back seats. She hadn't kept her hearing one them to listen in; when Kara was with Lena she was more focused on making sure she was alright.

"It-" the officer swallows, "it was Lex. Apparently because Lena sent Lillian Luthor to jail and, y'know, had nothing to do with her breakout." Supergirl huffs, placing her hands on her hips. _For Rao's sake._ She throws her head back, looking at the blue sky to find some calmness in herself. She grunts turning around.

"Goddammit.." Supergirl hisses as she runs a hand through her hair. She turns to the officer and James. "If you find _anything_ else, please contact me _immediately_." Both men nod in understanding, Supergirl thanks them and goes back to Lena. "Ready?" Supergirl asks Lena as she approaches the latter. Lena just nods and lets Supergirl pick her up after she slips back into her suit jacket, accommodating her bag on her lap once she's in Supergirl's arms.

Supergirl gently lifts herself off the floor and flies softly, at a safe velocity, to L Corp. The whole time they stay quiet; Lena has her face tucked against the crook of Kara's neck, hoping the soft smell of cinnamon would calm her - bring that sense of safety. Kara is gently rubbing her thumb on Lena's back in soothing circles; she only lets Lena go when they're inside Lena's office with the balcony door closed. Lena goes to her desk as soon as she sets foot in her office's floor; she drops her bag on her chair and starts looking through the papers on her desk. She goes through her correspondence, flipping the envelops in her hands. And then she reaches a small white envelop, nothing written on it; she opens it, pulls out a single white notecard and quickly reads the message on it. As she reads, Lena's free hand flies to her mouth, pressing her fingers against her lips, as she takes a step back and her eyes keep on reading. Kara is alarmed as soon as Lena's heartbeat picks up as she reads the letter.

"Lena, what is it?" Kara asks as she sees Lena taking a step back. Lena's eyes fly to hers, full of pain, and for a moment it's almost as if she didn't recognize Kara at all. Lena swallows as she closes her hand over the notecard and brings it against her chest as if to hide it. She clears her throat before speaking.

"Please, leave." Lena lets out almost in a whisper.

"Lena…" Kara almost pleads taking a step towards Lena, and the latter takes another step back as an automatic reaction.

"No. Go. Now." Her voice breaks as a single tear escapes her. "I need you to leave now. _Please_." Her eyes red with pain, voice barely breaking. Kara clenches her jaw, feeling something piercing her heart.

"Alright." she tries not to sound hurt and walks out of the balcony and goes see if there's anything else to figure out about the attempt on Lena's life. All she wants is to stay and comfort Lena, but if she wants to be left alone that's what Kara will do.

Lena drops the card on the desk with anger, almost fear. She rounds her desk and goes to the cabinet where she kept her drinks, serves herself some whisky dropping two ice cubes in it and lets herself fall on chair. Lena sips her whisky while the note left on her desk seems to have flashlight around it, highlighting every word. ' _Traitor. How could you? You betray your own mother? Your family? After betraying me? After everything I- we did for you? You betray_ _ **me. Again.**_ _After everything we went through_ _ **together**_ _, you take_ _ **their**_ _side? You_ _ **save them**_ _?'_ Lena takes the note home with her after asking Jess to call the company's insurance about the car. She gets home in a few minutes and Eddie comes running to her, but as soon as he sees her, he hesitates and slows his pace towards her; instead of his usual meowing, he sticks to purring lowly and barely rubbing against Lena's legs and quietly follows her around the house to keep her company. For a moment Lena ponders on keeping the note, hiding it somewhere, but she knows it'll do no good; it'd only fester like all the wounds she's ignored before. She rips her note into shreds, drops it on her sink and sets it on fire with her lighter. When all of the shreds have gone black and crumpled by the fire, Lena turns the water on to snuff out the fire and cleans up the sink. She sighs in relief. It's gone now. Lena goes to her room and strips naked dropping her clothes in the laundry basket; she tucks her heels next to her other shoes and as she stands up she sees her reflection on the body-sized mirror in her room. She takes a step towards it. The naked woman on it stood firmly, her face cold and jaw clenched, confident even in her nudity, but then her eyes showed how broken she was, how alone she felt. Lena swallows trying to be strong, to keep herself up for the woman in the mirror. But then a sob escapes her throat and the tears flow down her face, unstoppable. Lena looks down, burying her face in her hands as her hair drapes around her face, she couldn't bear to see herself crying, so broken, so vulnerable. She takes a deep breath and her sobs stop but the tears are persistent on falling down Lena's cheek. Lena clears her throat taking one last look at the red eyed girl on the mirror and goes to her bathroom to turn on the hot water and let it fall against her, leaving her soaked to the bones; water's not hot enough to burn her, but enough to make her skin red after a short time. Everything against her skin seems far away, like all tact is muffled; that gives a false feeling of lightness but simultaneously her body felt too heavy to drag around. Lena digs her fingernails in her thighs, trying to feel _something_ and when she finally releases her legs they're left with little marks on her skin. She lets herself slide down the wall, her skin occasionally sticking on the wall. Lena stays there, hugging her legs tight against her chest as the water showers on her, until the steam makes her lightheaded; when she feels her body going numb and knows it won't be long before she faints, Lena languidly stands up and shuts the water off. She dries herself thoughtlessly, noticing the marks on her thighs are almost gone, before slipping into a large soft wool sweater and tucking herself under her soft blankets. Eddie jumps on the bed and settles himself against Lena for her to pet him and feel his purr rumbling against her. Not long after that her phones buzzes and she sees it's a text from Kara. Lena isn't in the mood to answer anything - no emails, no calls, no texts - but this is Kara and Kara is the exception, always.

'Lena, I heard what happened. Are you okay?! Are you home rn? Can I go see you?' Just as Lena finishes reading Kara sends another message. "I'll bring some chinese or pizza. Whatever you want.' Lena sighs, once again wondering what did she ever do to deserve having someone like Kara in her life.

'Hey Kara. I'm alright. Thanks, but I'd rather be alone right now. I just need to get some rest. :-)' Lena adds the emoji hoping it'll have the effect of making Kara believe that she's alright.

'Ok. Don't hesitate to call/text me anytime you need me.' And Kara sends her a picture of a puppy hugging a sleeping kitty. 'That's me btw. Hugging you.' Lena almost chuckles, a soft smile tugging at her lips.

'Obviously. The resemblance is uncanny. Tho I think I'd look more like Eddie if I were a cat.'

'Well, it's not like Eddie, or other black kitties, take lots of photos being hugged by puppies :P'

'Fair enough. I'm going now. Bye.'

'Bye, Lena. Feel better 3' Lena sighs in relief. She liked talking to Kara, but she was too tired right now. She prefered the comfort of her solitude, with only Eddie's purr and her own breathing to break the silence.

Kara flies by Lena's apartment three times that evening, during her patrol. Every time, she sees Lena curled up around Eddie on her bed; her breathing was calm and deep and her calm heartbeat disguised well all the pain within it.

Next morning Kara, as soon as she gets to CatCo, sends a text to Lena asking if she'd like Kara to go see her, 'All you need is to say the word and I'll be there with you'. But it's only about 45 minute later that she receives a response, 'busy. I can't.' a minute goes by with the three dots indicating Lena was writing, torturing Kara. 'I'm sorry.' is what Lena finally manages to send. Kara assures her that there's nothing to be sorry for, restates that she's there for Lena at any moment she needs her. When Kara gets a break she buys a bouquet of wildflowers and a little bag of Lindt chocolates and goes to L Corp. Jess informs her Lena is in a meeting, so Kara writes a note on a notecard Jess lends her; she isn't uber satisfied with her note, but feels too embarrassed to ask Jess for another one. She attaches the note to the bouquet and leaves her gifts with Jess for her to give to Lena later on. As hours fly by Kara at work, she expects some sort of response to her gifts. Surely Lena has had _some_ time slot when Jess could give her the her presents, but no call or message comes her way.

Lena had buried herself in work all day long. She lost track of time and it's already dark when Jess walks in.

"Ms. Luthor, may I bring your delivery now? There's really no reason for you to not take a break now." Jess says sounding tired after a day of trying to convince Lena to take a moment and _breathe_.

"Right. I completely forgot about that. Please, bring it to me." Lena says leaning back against her chair. Jess returns shortly with a glass vase and red plastic bag with a note card attached to it.

"I took the liberty to put them in water, didn't think you'd like them to wither away because you were too busy to receive gifts from _Kara_." Jess says mentally crossing her fingers in hopes that Lena wouldn't be mad at her for it.

"Of course you did. Thank you, Jess. Please leave them over here." Lena says indicating the right corner of her desk. "It'll be a nice touch to the office for the while they last." Jess does as told, hands Lena the red bag. "You can go home now. I'm finishing up here." The last part isn't necessarily true, as a CEO Lena always has work to do, but she wanted Jess to go home, the woman looked exhausted. Jess smiles at Lena, knowing 'finishing up' meant Lena would stay at least one more hour at her office. She bids Lena goodbye and leaves. Lena plucks the note from the plastic bag, that by now Lena new were chocolates; she smiles when seeing Kara's calligraphy and reads the note.

'Dearest Lena,

I hope you're alright. Got you these flowers to brighten your office or your room or wherever you decide to keep them, if you want to keep them. And the chocolates are not only comforting, but also absolutely delicious. Every single one of them is a little piece of heaven. I really hope you're okay, Lena. Talk to me. Let me know how you're doing.'The next line was scratched out by Kara, and so, completely unreadable. 'I hope to see you soon.

Yours,

Kara.'

Lena bites her lip, smiling as her curiosity eats at her, _what did she scratch out?_ The best way to get answers is by asking… right? Lena grabs her phone and calls Kara who answers immediately.

"Lena!" Kara sounds almost out of breath.

"Hey." Lena says rather timidly. "Sorry I didn't call earlier."

"No, that's perfectly fine. You're okay, right?"

"Yea, I'm fine, Kara."

"Are you sure you should've gone to work so soon? Wouldn't you rather stay home? You can still work from there."

"No, I needed to take care of some stuff here. And honestly, it's almost like I'm home. I practically didn't have meetings so I could afford to wear more comfortable clothes." Kara smiles. "Would you- can you come over for a bit? I know it's already a bit late, but it'd be good to see you. Personally thank you for the flowers and the chocolates."

"I can go. You're still in L Corp?"

"Yea."

"Alright. I just have, um, stuff later, but I have time to see you for a bit."

"Great. I'll see you in a bit then."

"Yup!" Kara beams and Lena bites her lip smiling as they hang up.

Kara walks in Lena's office and is slapped on the face by the sight of Lena wearing glasses. And yes, she clearly looked casual, and compared to her usual work attire this definitely looks like a 'stay-in' or 'I'm-going-to-the-park' outfit-she had a loose white shirt on, dark jeans and classic converse shoes. Lena's bent over a pile of papers, the concentration on her reading has brought a frown to her forehead and the occasionally deepening crinkle between her eyebrows gives away her frustration with whatever it's saying. There's a blue pen caught between her teeth that she twists back and forth with her thumb and index finger until she needs to release it to write a note on the paper. Her glasses slide down her nose and Lena pushes them back up, the movement clearly natural to her. The whole while Kara's frozen in place, staring at Lena. Lena sighs, _are they idiots? If they do it this way it'd cause the equipment to overheat and that would bring a whole new set of issues._ Andthen she feels a nagging warmth growing in her that wills her eyes up and that's when she finds a rosy cheeked Kara looking slightly awestruck. The sight of Kara brings a wide smile to Lena's face, brightening her up.

"Kara! You're here." Lena drops the pen on her desk and crosses her office to Kara. The latter almost jumps as if snapped out of a daze and though Lena doesn't comment on it, it doesn't go unnoticed by her.

"Um, hey. Hi. Hope I didn't take too long." And Kara doesn't make eye contact.

"Not at all. And I, as always, have plenty to work on while waiting." Lena says always smiling.

"Yea. You do." Kara seems to be trying to look anywhere but Lena's face, but her eyes keep on getting dragged there and her cheeks just won't cool down. "I- I didn't know you wear glasses."

"Oh," _so that's what's_ bothering _her_. Lena's hand automatically shoots up to her glasses and adjust them as a smirk tugs at her lips. "Yea, I usually wear contacts, but I couldn't bring myself to wear them today." _Crying too much for that._

"Oh, got it." And then Kara pushes down all the feelings Lena with glasses brought up and turns serious mode on "You're alright?"

"Yea." Lena says trying to smile, but then she feels that tightening feeling in her chest. Lena bites her lip as she starts nodding and her eyes start welling up. Kara gives her a sad smile.

"Come here." Kara says before enveloping Lena in an embrace. Lena swiftly pushes her glasses up her head and buries her face in the crook of Kara's neck, taking a deep breath and wrapping her arms tightly around Kara. Lena lets her tears out, silently, her shoulders barely shaking and Kara rubs her back softly, leaving a kiss on Lena's face, right next to her ear. "Shhh. You're okay. You're fine. I'm here for you. You're safe." Lena nods against Kara's neck but doesn't let go. A moment goes by like that and Kara's phone starts buzzing. She knows it's Alex calling her. It's not an emergency, just to check up. So she slides a hand in her pocket and silences the call to then return her hand to where it was resting on Lena's back. At the sound of Kara's phone buzzing, Lena's heart tightens and so does her hold on Kara, her fingers grab at the back of Kara's cardigan, digging on her back, pulling her closer. "It's okay. I don't have to go yet." That makes Lena's heart hurt a bit less, but her hold on Kara doesn't loose. After a while, she pulls back and before she can bring her hands up to dry her face, Kara is cupping her cheeks and wiping the tears with her thumbs. Lena gives her a sad smile, making a conscious effort not to press her face against Kara's touch and leaves her hands resting on Kara's hips while the later dries her tears. "Are you sure you're okay, all by yourself in your apartment? I can go spend time with you while you're there, even stay over if you want me to. I don't think you being alone is good right now."

"It's okay, thanks. I-"

"This isn't the first time, Lena. You're not safe." Lena's whole body stiffens and she takes a step back, her eyes hardening as she clenches her jaw.

"I know that. My life is the one they aim to take every time. It happened to me. I know it's not the first time Lex has tried to kill me, and it most likely won't be the last. And 'I'm not safe'?" The way she says it, Kara can almost see the air quotations as her heart tightens. "I'm a _Luthor_ , Kara. I'll never be safe." Lena spins on her heels and goes back to her desk to grab the forgotten cup of whisky, seeing the ice had barely melted gave Lena some sort of consolation. Kara has her arms crossed and jaw clenched as Lena's.

"I know you're not safe, Lena. That's why I-" Kara tries to amend whatever it seems she did wrong.

"Offered yourself to stay with me? Putting yourself in danger? Risking being in a situation that will most likely get you killed?" Kara stops on her track when Lena spins to look at her as she speaks, the ice clinking in the cup, her bright eyes burning behind her glasses. "Why, Kara? Why would you risk your life for me?" Lena walks closer to Kara, who swallows hard, suddenly feeling disarmed. "Or is it not a risk to you?" Lena adjusts her glasses. There's a warning bell in the back of Lena's mind but her heart is so loud it's easy to ignore the ringing.

"Lena… no. I- I know there's danger. And I- I- I-" It got harder and harder to not just tell Lena, "I can definitely be killed by everything that could kill you. But I rather be with you, giving you company and support and- and everything than stay away just 'cause it might be dangerous. I- Lena. I'm _not_ leaving you to face this alone. That's what- what friends do. They stick together, through thick and thin. Lena…" Kara takes a step towards Lena to touch her, but then she hesitates. Lena looks at Kara's bright blue eyes and can almost hear a plea from them, she sees Kara reach out for her and then there's a moment of doubt. Before Kara fully drops her hand, Lena holds her wrist, gently pressing her fingertips against it.

"I'm sorry, Kara. I'm just- It's funny how every family has different ways of showing they still care." Lena lets out a dry, empty chuckle while she looks down at Kara's hand that she's holding. _Oh, Lena…_ "Thank you. If you're not busy and I need you, I will call you. I'm sorry for-" _I promised to not push you to tell me. And what did I just do? Goddammit, Lena! This is getting so hard. I need to find a way to keep myself on check. Why can't I just-_ her thoughts are cut by the current that shoots up her arm and through her body from the light squeeze Kara gave her hand and that goddamn genuine, sweet smile.

"Lena, it's okay. After everything, you have more than the right to be… you promise you'll call if you need me?" Lena nods with a small smile. "Alright. I do have to go now. I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine. I still have things to finish up before I go home. And you came to see me and sent me flowers and chocolates. Couldn't be better. Makes up for all the work I had on Valentine's." Kara blushes a bit, looking down at her feet and laughs.

"Can I give you a hug?" Kara asks quietly and bites her lip.

"Always." Kara wraps her arms around Lena's waist and buries her face in her hair, cherishing the warmth coming from Lena. Lena wraps her arms around Kara's shoulders, balancing her cup; she takes in the scent of sunshine and cinnamon and lets it bring some serenity into her heart.

"I'll see you." Kara says after she pulls back.

"Of course. See you." They smile at each other and Lena watches as Kara leaves, thinking that maybe she _should_ go home; she was exhausted and Eddie probably has finished his food by now, and her apartment was much more comfortable than the private suite she had in L Corp. _Yea, I'll wrap up and go_. Her head already felt heavy with exhaustion.

Later that night,Kara lands on the L Corp balcony in her Supergirl suit and walks into Lena's office. Lena's sitting on her chair, almost finishing her cup of whisky; she turns around in her chair to face the Kryptonian.

"Y'know, I've been thinking of having some high security lock on that door with all the assassination attempts, but then I wonder if it'd be worth it when you're always walking in like _that's_ the main entrance." Lena teases Supergirl with an amused smile.

"Well, I wouldn't break something that guarantees you would be safer, Lena. And you can always give _me_ the key… or a copy." Kara smirks and leans against the shelf in Lena's office. Lena gets up from her chair and goes refill her cup.

"Can I get you anything, Supergirl?" Lena asks as she serves herself whisky. Kara shifts for a moment.

"Uh, water, please."

"Huh, how healthy." Lena says serving Kara a cup. She walks over and Kara pushes herself off the shelf to meet her halfway. Lena gives her the cup of water and takes a sip of her whisky, it burns her tongue; she swallows it and it goes down scratching her throat. Lena sighs softly, enjoying the remaining taste in her mouth still tingling her tongue. Lena places the cup on her desk; this was her third cup and there's no need to actually tipsy in front of Supergirl. And Kara had seen Lena wasted more than once, she didn't want Kara to see that again any time soon.

"Are you alright, Lena?" Kara asks.

"Of course, why?"

"Well… you're brother tried to kill recently."

"Right… I'm fine, Supergirl."

"Do you want me to take you home?" Lena sighs.

"Why?"

"I saw your car downstairs and… well, it's never a good idea to drive when…" And Kara automatically eyes the whisky cup on Lena's desk. She immediately looks back at Lena, scolding herself.

"When inebriated." Lena raises an eyebrow at Kara looking unamused. Kara bites her lip hoping she didn't upset or offend Lena somehow. She sees Lena thinking and finishes her water before placing the cup on the desk next to Lena's cup.

"It'll wear off in a couple of hours. And I'll be working till then." _wait, didn't I go back home two hours ago?_ "If I finish before the buzz is out, I'll call you." Kara nods in understanding. "I-" Lena takes a step forward as she tries to speak and holds Kara's wrist and then stops, shutting her mouth for a moment, trying to find her words, trying not to hide. "I never got the chance to properly-" there's a knot in her throat and feels her eyes burning as tears flood them. _See, this is what happens when you try not to hide_ everything _. You become this mess. Unbelievable. Ridiculous._ And suddenly, Lena Luthor, who looked every bit as powerful as her last name, becomes visibly small and vulnerable as she crosses her arms wrapping them around her stomach. She looks down angrily trying to blink her tears away when a sob escapes her throat.

"Lena…" Kara doesn't let a moment pass before pulling her into a hug. "Shhhh, it's okay. You're okay." Kara gently holds Lena tight against herself and rubs her back softly. "Shhh, you're safe, Lena. You're safe. I'm here with you. I'm not going anywhere." As Kara whispers soft consolations against Lena's hair and rubs her back, easing the sobs out of her, Lena gets a slight sensation of deja vu. Lena let's go of her own body, safe in Supergirl's arms, and lets her hands slide up Kara's torso; she rests her hands close to the cape straps on Supergirl's shoulders, digging her fingers for some sense of security. Lena's sobs grow quiet and there's only the sniffling and a slight shake of her shoulders.

"Thank you for saving my life from- from my family… again." It comes out in a crumbling voice.

"Of course, Lena. I'll do it as many times as it's needed. As long as I'm around they won't be able to lay a finger on you." Kara doesn't stop rubbing Lena's back soothingly.

"Maybe you should let them. This family quarrel puts a lot of innocent people in danger, who have _nothing_ to do with this. Them getting _some_ sort of revenge would finally put this to an end and you wouldn't have to worry about me anymore." Now Lena is almost calm again. But she's not ready to let go just yet. Kara's embrace feels so warm, so secure, so comforting, the heartbeat against her ear so familiar… Lex's words echo, seemingly disconnected, in her head. _After everything we went through together. Traitor. You take_ _ **their**_ _side? How could you? You_ _ **save**_ _ **them**_ _?_ It was the first she had heard of Lex since he tried to kill her last time. She missed him so bad. But her Lex was no longer there. _How could he ever return from… from all_ that _?_

"Lena, no. I won't let them get to you. They won't get satisfaction out of _any_ attempt they make on your life." Lena pulls away abruptly, stepping out of Kara's personal space and turns her back to Kara. "Lena…" Lena dries her face carefully with a tissue.

"I don't understand, Supergirl." Kara looks at Lena attentively, still a bit worried, still wishing Lena would come back to the safety of their embrace. "Why?" Kara tilts her head frowning a bit in confusion. "Why do you care?" And sure, maybe it came out short, maybe even angry, but Lena is tired-exhausted really-so there was no filter making her stop to soften her words, to make her hear the little voice telling her not to do this, not to push the matter.

"What?"

"Why do you care so much? Why do you care about _my_ life so much, _Supergirl_?" Her stance is in the edge of aggressive, her eyes burning against Kara's, looking for an answer she's sure she'll never get. "Why do you keep on fighting to keep me alive? Why do you keep on coming here? Why do you- what are you getting out of this? Is this your way of keeping the last free Luthor on check?" Kara takes a step forward, reaching out for Lena, but quickly drops her arm.

"Lena, no. That's not it." Lena takes a step forward, almost back in Kara's personal space.

"Then what is it?" _Breathe breathe breathe. Calm down, Lena. Stop doing this. Why won't I stop?_ Kara's mouth goes dry, she opens and closes it a few times but no sound comes out.

"I-" Kara takes a deep breath trying to steel her nerves and recover some of her Supergirl confidence, but then the words come out before she can think twice about them, as Lena keeps repeating her mantra to stay calm, but it seems like it won't reach her. "Because you're worth the fight, Lena. _Every_ fight." Lena takes a sharp breath in, She's trying to remind herself that this is yet another proof that this is Kara and she still doesn't trust her enough, while the more conscious part screams to her to _stop_ and _think_ ,but her brain short circuits and in a second Lena's sharp green eyes go black as her pupils dilate. She takes a long stride towards Kara and grasps at Supergirl's shoulders, grabbing her cape, and pushes her. Kara lets herself be pushed, pulled and dragged and then Lena has her pressed against her desk. The desk moves a couple of inches back with the impact and Kara leans against it, making herself shorter, almost at Lena's height. Lena steps even closer, still grasping at Kara's cape and presses her face against Kara's. And then everything stops. Lena's chest is heaving as she tries to recover her breathing, and Kara's quiet, taking deep breaths to calm her heart. Lena's nose is pressed against Kara's, her lips almost against Kara's cheek, right next to the latter's lips. She keeps her eyes closed trying to think at least one coherent thought, but everything is fuzzy and electric and her heart… her heart is full of _everything._ Kara's eyes are hooded, she doesn't want to close them, but _seeing_ Lena _so close_ makes her too nervous, so she keeps her vision partly dark. _But maybe…_ Kara lets her hands, that were resting on the desk, travel to Lena's hips and up her waist, and ever so gently, she turns her face pressing their foreheads together, so her lips are directly in front of Lena's. Kara bites her lower lip as her eyes flutter closed and she lets out a sigh, waiting.

"I- I can't." Lena's voice comes out hoarse and she steps away.

"Why?" Kara stands up, holding Lena's wrist and gently pulling Lena back in, one hand resting on her hip, the other gently moving to Lena's cheek, tilting Lena's head up and bumping her nose against hers, as she rests her forehead against Lena's.

"I- I want _you_. _All_ of you." Lena chokes out, "not just the hero in a blue and red suit. I want… I _really_ want this. But I want it to be real. And complete. You deserve to be loved as a _whole_ , not as a piece. I trust you, K- I trust you. _**Please trust me**_." Despite the little movement and no exertion, both are breathing heavily. "Promise me. Promise you'll-"

"I promise, Lena. I trust you. I promise. No more hiding." Lena takes a sharp breath in, both their hearts racing, beating against their ribcages, begging to be freed. Kara tilts her head, her would be shaking hands now firm on Lena's hips, her lips graze over Lena's and Kara waits, asking for a final green light. She waits for a hum, a nod, Lena's hands, that were tightly grasping her waist now, pulling her closer. But instead Lena pushes herself up on her toes sealing that promise with her lips softly pressing against Kara's. Although her heart is still racing, as soon as her lips are pressed against Kara's, there's a moment of relief, a moment of _fucking finally._ They stay for a moment like this, frozen in time, until Lena sighs into the kiss and slides her hands up, wrapping her arms around Kara's neck, breaking the spell that held them unmovable as the two feel more free to taste each other's lips. Kara tilts her head and softly presses her lips more against Lena's, as she lets her arms snake around Lena's waist, pulling her up and closer against her own body. Lena parts her lips slightly, enjoying the warmth engulfing her, and sucks Kara's lower lip in and catches it between her teeth, lightly biting into it and tracing it with the tip of her tongue. There's a low vibration in Kara's chest from a repressed groan that immediately makes Lena aware of the warmth pooled in the pit of her stomach. Their kiss becomes more open mouthed when there's a voice speaking in Kara's ear.

"Supergirl. Are you in?" The agent's voice startles Kara making her break the kiss.

"Sorry." Kara says biting her own lip after she loosens her hold on Lena, her voice deep and hoarse. Lena steps back a bit biting her own lip, pupils blown, her hands slide down and stop on the golden waist of Supergirl's skirt as her eyes drop to the red crest on her chest. Kara raises her hand to her ear, pressing a finger it. "Agent Danvers." Kara's voice comes out still hoarse and she clears her throat. "What is it?"

"A bank downtown, we don't have a count yet, but it's a hostage situation."

"Crap." There's a moment of silence in which Lena assumes Agent Danvers is wondering what got that out of Kara; normally she was very excited about fighting people. "On my way." She turns to Lena. "Sorry, I have to go. Some idiots have hostages in a bank downtown."

"Fucking criminals. Can't they do their thing at less inconvenient moments?" Lena says smirking a bit. Kara chuckles and rests a hand on Lena's cheek, who leans into the touch, before leaning down to leave a gentle kiss on Lena's lip. Kara bites her own lower lip after pulling away.

"Get home safe." Kara whispers and in a blink she's out the balcony, flying.

"You too, Supergirl." Lena says with a giddy smile, fingers pressed against her lips. She lets her eyes flutter close as the memory of the softest steel lips pressed against hers comes to her, almost as if it were actually happening again. There's muffled music in the background. And it becomes louder, and there's this feeling of being pulled away, into herself and Lena opens her eyes. Grunting, she reaches out for her phone to shut off the alarm and presses her face against the pillow, groaning louder. _I need to do something about this asap._ Lena grabs her phone to check her notifications and sees she fell asleep while texting Kara. 'I'm really glad you liked the flowers! Thank you for calling me to your office. I was really worried.' and then a couple of hours later. 'I gotta go. Guess you're already asleep. Have a good night, Lena' and Kara ends the text with a red heart and a kiss emoji. _Yea, I need to do something about this now._ And she locks her screen before getting herself out of bed to start her morning routine.

This time Kara is determined to see Lena and have some actual quality time with her. She had barely 20 minutes with Lena the previous day and her plans to go visit her as Supergirl were hijacked by a very confused alien who accidentally set a building on fire. So she works her ass off so that she's free by the time Lena usually had her lunch break; sure they had exchanged the daily lunches for mostly daily dinners, it was less likely to interrupt their work day, but if Lena was getting exhausted enough to sleep while texting it's probably because she's putting herself through things she shouldn't.

Kara walks into L Corp and is surprised to find Lena right there on the first floor. She's having a seemingly pleasant conversation with a younger girl, who Kara immediately assumed was barely out of high school. The girl's flushed cheeks are almost matching her hair tied in a rather messy bun. She's not able to properly maintain eye contact with Lena as she speaks; the girls says something that gets an amused smile from Lena and then the girl tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and bites her lip. Then the girl waves shyly and walks away with fast steps, hugging a thick notebook as she mumbles to herself things like _"So embarrassing. Gosh, I can't believe I said that."_ Kara feels a bitter taste in her mouth as she hears the girl's heart beat faster when she finally makes eye contact with Lena's eyes, as she turns away with a conflicted yet happy smile, the freckles spread across her face are almost invisible on her flushed skin, as they walk past each other and bump shoulders because the girl was too distracted to notice Kara.

"Sorry." The girl squeaks out, her blue eyes meet Kara's for a second and Kara can swear she's seen them before, somewhere… then her eyes look down to the floor as she walks even faster out of the building. That's when Lena sees Kara walking towards her and her whole face brightens up and she smiles widely almost as if someone hadn't tried to kill her less than 48 hours ago.

"Kara." Lena says walking to meet her.

"Hey." Kara says just a moment before Lena pulls her into a hug. She buries her face in Kara's hair, not minding that everyone could see them now that she wasn't in the privacy of her office. Kara holds her gently tight, rubbing her hand up and down Lena's back.

"I'm so glad you came." Lena says almost in a whisper and then steps back. "Sorry I left you hanging. I was exhausted last night." Lena bites her lower lip as she pushes down the memories of the last time she saw Kara since it #1: didn't really happen, #2: made it really hard to talk to Kara without staring at her lips 100% of the time.

"Lena, it's alright! After everything you went through it's more than reasonable that you need some, or a lot, of rest. Like working from home for a couple of days." Kara presses her lips into a thin line before speaking again. "I… I asked Supergirl to check up on you. Make sure there wasn't a second attempt. I- just to make sure you're okay." Kara finishes mumbling a bit. Lena has her head slightly tilted to the side, a small smile caught between her teeth and her eyes soften.

"Thank you, Kara. If I knew I would've invited her in for some tea or whatever it is she likes drinking." She finishes with a playful smile, _maybe if I had invited her in I wouldn't have a dream but an actual memory stuck in my mind_. Kara chuckles adjusting her glasses.

"Next time then…" they smile at each other for a moment before Kara remembers something that was nagging her. "So, who was that," Kara gestures in the general direction behind her, "that you were talking to?"

"Oh, just one of our interns. She's working with Ramon." Lena walks towards the elevator, pulling Kara with her. "I'm pretty sure she just tried to ask me out." Lena laughs at that.

"Oh, she looks like she's still in highschool."

"I think she just graduated. Yea, top of her class. Ramon _insisted_ we hired her because she's a genius. Can't counter that, she's actually helping us well enough this past month for a barely-out-of-her-shell intern. But no matter that, I'm not interested in her. And there's probably something written somewhere advising against love affairs between CEOs and their barely hired interns." Kara gets an amused smile at that, "and imagine what people would say!" Lena finishes with an affected voice and they both chuckle. Kara sighs internally in relief, though that brought a mental note to the back of her mind that she'd check later.

"It'd be quite the scandal!" Kara jokes making Lena laugh more.

"You have time for lunch?" Lena asks with a hopeful smile as they walk into her office.

"Yea, of course." Kara returns the smile and Lena almost beams in response.

They choose to go to a nearby restaurant since Lena did have a meeting right after lunch hours. Once they have a table and order their plates, Kara and Lena chat about anything as they usually do. Their orders arrive and there's a moment of silence as they start eating, which Lena takes as an opportunity.

"So, I'm not gonna be around for a couple of days." Lena gives it a beat. "There's a fundraiser gala in New York, hosted by Mr. Wayne and I was invited. Couldn't get a plus one, apparently Mr. Queen took care of that by having many plus ones." She ends sounding a bit short, like she wanted to say _"that idiot"_ instead of _"Mr. Queen"_.

"No, it's alright, Lena. And I don't think Snapper would be okay with me leaving work for a few days, anyways." Kara smiles sheepishly while fixing her glasses. "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning. I should be back on Sunday afternoon."

"Alright. I'm glad I could see you before you left. We barely saw each other after…" Kara bites her lip and there's a shift in Lena's gaze, almost somber.

"Yea…" Lena nods, reaching out to hold Kara's hand on the table.

"I'd send Supergirl after you to make sure you're alright if I hadn't gotten the chance to see you." Kara gives her a playful smirk as they both laugh.

"Don't worry, I'll have a chat with her before I leave. That is, if she's up early in the morning."

"I have no idea what her sleeping schedule is like. But I guess she would. There's always trouble for superheros to fix." Lena shakes her head.

"Of course, Kara." They chat a bit more before Kara decides to ask the thing that gave her a new mental note and that she's rather afraid to ask.

"Um, sorry if it bothers you that I'm asking, but do you get asked out a lot? Like you were by that intern?" Lena laughs.

"Well, like I was by her? No, nobody has ever asked me out in such an awkward way." Kara snorts thinking that _she_ could probably be more awkward than the girl. Lena smiles, satisfied that she made Kara laugh. "I get hitted on a lot. Some people ask me out after they find out I'm part of the 'infamous Luthor family'; others stop wanting to date me after figuring the same thing out. I definitely don't have people raining on me, but a few offers show up here and there. Not like I care about any of _them_." Kara has a little pout as Lena's tone turns slightly bitter. _Oh no. That's bad right?_

"Uh, why not? I'm sure there are people genuinely interested in you? I mean, who wouldn't be?" _Why am I doing this? Gosh, Kara!_

"I'm not so sure about _that_ , Kara. And even if any of the proposals I've received recently were genuine, it wouldn't work. I don't… really like any of _them_. Not enough for dating at least." _That's great! I mean, no, bad. Why did I get happy when she said she doesn't really like the people who ask her out? Alright, okay. When she comes back I'm telling her. No backing down this time._

"Oh, I- I get it. Not everyone is bound to be a good match."

"Exactly." Lena takes a bite. "What about you?"

"Me?! What?" Kara's cheeks grow hot immediately. "I- I- I really haven't had time to think about _that_. There might be someone. I'm not sure."

"Ooh, who's the lucky one?" Lena asks, an amused smile grows on her lips when she sees Kara's blush spread to her ears and neck.

"I, um, I'm gonna try to figure it out next week."

"Oh, so you schedule your love affairs?" Lena teases.

"What? No! It's just- I- well, she's really busy. And I'm busy and- and-" _Rao, how do people tell their crushes about them?!_ But thankfully something Kara said catches Lena's attention.

"Oh, so it's a lucky woman. Didn't know you were into girls." And by _"didn't know"_ Lena meant, _"I didn't have solid confirmation other than you almost kissing me."_ And with that usually came all Lena's anxious insecurities and thoughts she had about the matter, mainly before their friendship became solid, like _"maybe it's nothing to her. Maybe she just wants to satisfy a curiosity."_ But Lena was quick to push that aside, especially now that she had confirmation from Kara herself.

"Oh," Kara raises her eyebrows and swallows. Suddenly it got _really_ hot and maybe Kara was feeling her body start to perspire. _Stop being nervous about this. You know she doesn't have a problem with this._ "Yea, it didn't take me too long to realize I'm bi. Though knowing exactly that did take longer. I didn't- uh, know that word when… yea. I know some people, a lot of people, have an issue with but…" Lena makes a face raising her eyebrows, that says _"tell me about it"_ as she puffs,"after I- after sometime I just realized: you can't ignore your heart, right?" Kara finishes with a sweet smile.

"Well, you can always try." Lena says smirking and they both laugh. If it were up to Lena, she would've stood up to kiss Kara right there and then, but _it wouldn't be fair to Kara_ , Lena thinks to herself before taking a step she won't be able to take back. It probably would leave Kara a mess-and Lena herself-then she needed to go back to work and then she'd be leaving next morning; they wouldn't see each other until Sunday at best. And Kara could take it as something only motivated by Lena's momentary (extra) sensitivity after, y'know, almost being murdered. So she stays put and for once accepts that she _has_ to do something about this or she'll explode from all her bottled up emotions.

Once they finish eating, Kara feels some of her competitiveness creeping to the surface.

"We're splitting the bill." She says ready to snatch Lena's wallet away if it turns out necessary.

"Of course." Lena answers in a casual tone as she reaches for her wallet. And that catches Kara off guard.

"What?"

"Yes, we're splitting the bill."

"You're- you're not gonna try to pay for all of it?"

"No, we can split this one. I told you, when I plan to pay the full bill myself I will let you know beforehand." Lena reminds Kara of the agreement they made. Despite Kara liked that Lena liked treating her for lunches and dinners, Lena noticed it made Kara rather uncomfortable when Lena wouldn't let her pay for _anything_ ; they made that agreement and Lena only insisted paying the bills of the more expensive or fancy places they'd occasionally go to, especially when Lena invited Kara for "business dinners" (those were mainly for the clients to feel pampered, which made them more willingly to agree with L Corp's contract conditions). "You're the one picking fights." Lena teases looking up from the bill.

"I am not!" Kara says seemingly outraged at the implication. Lena raises an eyebrow and her smirk slowly turns into a smile before the both start giggling. It was good, dreams or no dreams, seas of fired bullets or secrets for safety, none of that would make Lena's heart not melt at the sight of Kara, or make Kara not feel like there's a sun inside her when she locks eyes with Lena. Yea… it's nice. It's _good_.

Alex and Kara are at the DEO central in their respective uniforms, waiting for any possible incoming trouble in the city.

"So, how are you doing?" Ales asks and Kara who frowns in response.

"I'm fine. Why?"

"Well, it's been almost 12 hours since you've seen Lena. Just wanted to make sure you're not collapsing. I'm not seeing any abstinence symptoms, but you might start suffering from withdrawal around this time tomorrow." Kara glares at Alex and then makes a face of _"please, me? Never!"_

"I can be just fine without seeing Lena, okay? I spent my whole life without her 'till a couple of months ago. Not like I can't make it through a couple of days. Pfff. Please." Alex suppresses her laugh into a smile.

"Of course. But you're aware that you've been seeing her pretty much _every_ day for, what? A month?"

"I- I'm not sure. It's been like- I have no idea. Time just goes by differently when she's around."

"Yea, 'cause you don't pay attention to it or your phone."

"Gosh, for how long are you going to call me out for that? It wasn't an emergency and I was with you 10 minutes later."

"Yea, you're right. It only happened yesterday. And last week when you two were giggling over some cat videos. And that other time a bank was being robbed and the police actually got there _before_ the fastest superhero on this Earth. And when-" Alex says as she counts them on her fingers.

"Okay! I get it! I'll keep a check on that and be glad nobody's been hurt because of these _little_ slips."

"Alright." Alex says and starts counting down in her head.

"She's just so sweet and nice an-" _Score_. Alex thinks self satisfied.

" _No_. No talking about Lena. Don't wanna hear it. Maybe tomorrow. I swear to god, Kara. I don't need to hear about all the ways Lena's wonderful just because you already miss her. It hasn't been a day. Give me a break." Alex glares and Kara takes a deep breath.

"Okay, sorry." That makes Alex relax and start reading some reports. A moment goes by in silence as Kara fidgets. "You wanna talk about Kate instead?" Alex's head shoots up, eyes wide as they glare at Kara.

"Why would I want to talk about Kate?" Kara opens her mouth, "don't answer that." Kara shuts her mouth, "and no, I don't want to. How about we go train so I can kick your ass?" Kara pouts.

"Nooo, I'm still sore from yesterday." Alex looks like she won't change her mind so Kara really pouts this time and Alex can't fight against the poutTM .

"Alright…" Kara beams and hugs her sister.

"Do you want me to get you something from that food truck in Chicago?" Kara asks. Alex stays quiet for a moment.

"Okay, yes. Just hurry in case we need you." Kara beams.

"I will!" And she flies off.

Next day, Kara's sitting at her dining table eating dinner by herself, feeling rather awkward. After who knows how long of having dinner, right there, with Lena practically every night, it just felt weird to be alone and know Lena wasn't just a few minutes away, but all the way across the country. Honestly, her whole day felt weird, usually Lena and Kara would exchange a few messages throughout the day before meeting up after work for dinner. But Lena was busy with meetings and Kara convinced her to do a bit of touring, which only made her busier-touring turned into staying the whole day in the public library and then having ice cream (or coffee if it turned out to be too cold for ice cream) while walking up 6th avenue back to the hotel. So, there wasn't much chatting on the second No Lena DayTM and only a _"have a good flight", "landed safely"_ sort of texts on the first day. Yea… dinner was weird with no Lena sitting across from her, no bright laughter sometimes started by a snort as Lena throws her head back, making her neck muscles more visible, no swirling of a wine cup in well manicured hands, no leg rubbing against Kara's as Lena crosses hers. It just felt _weird_ not to have Lena there, and _that_ is even weirder to Kara; she has had plenty of alone meals in her apartment, so why is this bugging her _this much_? It isn't necessarily _bad_. It isn't a thorn piercing her side or a sharp rock in her shoe, it's more of a buzzing mosquito that wouldn't bite her but wouldn't stop buzzing in her ear either. It did no harm, but man, did it annoy the shit out of her.

The following day Alex comes over with take out, not because Kara asked her to, but because she noticed something was off and she wanted to help even if silently so. She notices Kara is a bit extra fidgety; she's doing everything as usual, getting the plates and cups to set up the table for them, but she's just being too fidgety and not the _"I wanna talk about this but don't know how to start"_ kind of fidgety. Alex leaves it for now, giving it a chance that hunger was to blame, but when Kara is still fidgeting during and after they eat, Alex _has_ to say something.

"Kara, is everything alright?" Kara looks up to Alex from her plate.

"Yea, why?"

"You just seem more fidgety than usual…" A smirk grows on Alex's lips as she thinks of a way to tease Kara, "let me guess, the Lena withdrawal is starting to settle in?" Kara opens her mouth and a strangled, exasperated sound comes out.

"No, I mean, yes. It's weird but I'm _not_ suffering from withdrawal." Kara grabs her plate and Alex's, leaves them at the sink and walks back to where she was sitting. "It's… I, um…"

"What?" Kara swallows nervous, not meeting Alex's eyes. "Wait, please don't tell me that after all this mess you decided you're not _that_ into her."

"NO." Kara clears her throat, a slight blush on her cheeks, "no, that's not it. Actually, it's sort of the opposite." Alex raises her eyebrows, _Oh god, already?_

"You-"

"Lena's a great match." Kara interrupts Alex, afraid of what she would suggest. _Not ready for that yet._ "Pretty sure she's a perfect match… in like, every way." Kara bites her lip and crosses her arms. "Rao, yes. She is a perfect match. I think… I think maybe mother would've liked her. Lena's so intelligent, so clever. Maybe father would've liked her too…" _Oh Kara…_

"Kara…" Alex says reaching out for Kara, who reaches back and gives Alex's hand a little squeeze.

"It's alright. I'm okay. That just came to mind this morning after- because- well, because of many reasons but it started with-" Kara presses her lips into a thin line as she stares at the pattern of the wood of her table. Alex raises her eyebrows catching Kara's eyes to encourage her to continue. Kara's blush grows into her ears and neck. "Um, I might have had a- a dream about… with Lena… and that's… what eventually brought up some thoughts that led to "would my parents like her" and… yea." Kara bites her lip, her blush not wanting to cool down.

"Um, you had a _dream_ with Lena?" Kara just stares wide eyed, "like, _that_ kind of dream?" Apparently, against what was formerly believed by Kara, her face _could_ get hotter.

"What?! No! It… it wasn't…" Kara huffs and puffs, "well… it didn't get _that_ far…" Alex bites her lip trying not to laugh. "But it was… a lot. I- it wasn't that kind of dream, okay?! We were fully clothed in the dream, and- in a park… I think." Alex just keeps on grinning, actually managing not to laugh.

"You had an _almost_ sex dream. And _that_ led you to think about how your _parents_ would like her being your… match? I'm… wow, you're in deep, Kara."

"I know." Kara grunts and buries her face in her arms, that she had crossed on the table; the momentary silence and blindness helped her face cool off. Alex gets up and gets a jar of water from the fridge, goes back to the table and pushes it towards Kara. Kara looks up at her frowning.

"Why did you get the whole jar?"

"It's for your thirst." Alex says smiling impishly.

"You…!" Kara smack Alex's arm trying not to smile. "Put that back, and I'm not _thirsty,_ I'm just- I'm…" Alex goes return the jar as Kara grunts, "urgh, so frustrated. I'm gonna come out to her, Alex. As soon as she gets back I'm gonna tell her."

"Wait, wait, you mean tell her you're Supergirl?" Alex asks walking back from the fridge with an open beer bottle. _'Cause the gay kind of coming out is kinda redundant by now_.

"Yes." Kara says with conviction.

"Kara, I don't think-"

"I know, Alex. But I'm gonna do it. Like you said, if I don't I'll be forcing her to choose one or the other and I don't want that. I don't want Lena to love Supergirl or Kara Danvers, Alex." Alex frowns for a moment, staggered by the intensity in Kara's bright gaze. "I- I want her to love Kara Zor-el, because that's who actually loves her. _I_ am the one who wants her, not half of me, _all_ of me. And she needs to know I fully trust her so she can do the same. And what's wrong with that? Nothing. If anything, it makes absolute sense she'd need that, after everything she's been through. Just like _I_ have my issues, she has hers. And that won't stop me." And Kara's is so serious, her gaze unwaveringly resolved, that Alex knows Kara'd fight the world if it came to it to make sure Lena knows she's loved with flaws and all. And that makes Alex give her sister a soft smile.

"Alright." Alex says still smiling. And that makes Kara's eyes shine and smile starts tugging at her lips, "I respect your decision. And I promise I'm working on the whole "but she's a _Luthor_ " thing." Kara has a full grin on her face now.

"Thank you, Alex." Kara says holding both of Alex's hands in hers. They smile at each other for a moment and Kara's eyes go wide and she slowly let's go of Alex's hands.

"What is it?"

"I should probably let Kal know."

"Well, how about you wait until you two are actually in an official relationship so there's no misunderstandings?"

"You're right. Okay." Kara lets out a deep breath. "Alright, I'm calm now. Let's go watch some tv. The fundraiser must have started a while ago, there'll probably be news about it." Kara says as they move to the couch. _I hope Kate's there to keep Lena company._ Kara sees her twitter notifications for a moment, "huh, my twitter is blowing about about the Wayne fundraiser. There'll definitely be news." Alex finally goes to the news channel. There's a woman talking from where the fundraiser was being held and it cuts to a helicopter shot of the New York aquarium as she speaks. The images, the reporter's voice, everything gives off a hectic feeling. _"That's- that's apparently where the two unidentified male kidnappers took Lena Luthor. They asked for_ all _the profits that come from the fundraiser in exchange for Lena Luthor."_ There's a moment of static noise, _"the police have already been contacted. We haven't been able to get any information as to what or how they plan to handle this."_

"Kara…" Alex turns to Kara and sees she's already in her Supergirl suit and before she can utter another word Kara's out the window. "Alright. I'll stay here. And wash the dishes."

Kara's flying at full speed to New York, sound barrier be damned. Lena was in danger and Kara would sooner burn in some horrific version of hell humans came up with than not try her best to save Lena. As she approaches the aquarium Kara slows down and notices the police isn't there yet. _How?_ She sees a dark figure on top of a nearby building. The person stands up and jumps off the building, a wing like cape spreads open catching air and the person glides down towards the aquarium, red hair whipping in the air. _Huh, it seems like I'm going to meet the famous Batwoman._ Kara thinks, remembering the tone of sincerity and pride in Lena's voice when she talked about the Gotham heroine, it was almost the same tone as when she talked about Kate. Kara flies around the aquarium scanning it, but the only people she sees inside are two men tied up to each other and apparently unconscious. Frowning, Kara looks around for a sign of Lena, her heart beating faster at the prospect of something worse happening to Lena. She hears heavy breathing from two people not far from there, she turns towards the sound and promptly spots a rather staggered Lena being dragged by the hand around the corner into an alley between two buildings. Kara flies towards them immediately and lands close to them, almost crashing the asphalt under her feet.

"STOP." Kara shouts and they come to an abrupt halt.

"Super-" Lena squeaks in surprise but then her words choke in her throat as all Kara sees is black, then there's some red and finally a thud. Supergirl has no time to react as she's startled by the sudden appearance interrupting her rescuing Lena. The Batwoman stands up right, everything about her is empowering and intimidating to those facing her.

"It's Britney bitch," Batwoman hisses with a scowl as she stands up. Lena doesn't seem as surprised to see Batwoman there but is looking utterly confused by, well, everything, including the vigilante's introduction. Batwoman swiftly readies a kick and instantly freezes in that position. "Harley?! _What the fuck_?!" She relaxes a bit from her aggressive position. _What the hell is going on?_ Kara is still a bit too surprised.

"Hey, Red Batsy!" A chirpy voice says and Supergirl is _sure_ she's heard it before.

"What the _hell_ are you doing here?"

"Uh, it's none of yer business, but since ye care enough ta ask, I moved here few weeks ago." And that seems to be enough to get Kara's gears running again.

"Hey!" Kara calls them out and pushes Batwoman to the side with her shoulder maybe a bit too roughly.

"Oh, sorry." Batwoman starts, ignoring the pain in her shoulder. _Great… a Super…_ "Did I interrupt your heroic rescuing?" Batwoman gives Supergirl an awkward grin and lets out a low, "oops…" Supergirl raises her eyebrows looking rather offended.

"I had _everything_ _ **under control**_." Kara hisses, now fully facing Batwoman.

"Oh, obviously! I'm not questioning your heroing abilities, _sunshine_. It just so happens that _I_ had everything under control as well, and didn't need you to bring your ass all the way from Kansas to interrupt me." Despite the, almost humoristic, sarcastic tone to Batwoman's voice her stance was firm and she wasn't bucking under Supergirl's hard gaze, but returning it with equal intensity. _Who the hell does she think she is? Dresses all in black and jumps off of buildings and suddenly she's oh so cool. Just because she can practically fly and jump off buildings almost without hurting herself which is really rare for humans; and she risks her life constantly doing things that would certainly get her killed at the minimal mistake. Ok, she's a badass. But, ugh, what is she even doing here?_

" _Not Kansas_. And what are _you_ doing here anyways? And if you saw me, why did you get in my way? Not like you could do a better job than- or _even_ as good as mine." Kara says, suddenly overwhelmed by a bitter feeling in the pit of her stomach. _This prissy conceited lil' bitch. I could kick her ass- take that back, she's a Kryptonian, I'd just break my leg trying. And she's almost taller than me. And so strong. Really pretty too. Ok, Kate, control your gay. She_ is _badass, though. But still, what is this "I'm better than you" bullshit. Just 'cause she's practically invincible she thinks it makes her better just like that. There's a lot more to make a person actually good than how hard they are to kill. Joker is a living example of that, the motherfucker._

"Oh, sorry, didn't mean to get whatever place you protect mixed up. It just so happens that it's on the other fucking side of the country. And I'm basically from "just across the bridge". _And_ I was already in the city." Batwoman finishes with a rather casual tone.

"What makes you think I wasn't?"

"Please, you came in here like a rocket. Everyone paying half a mind to what's going on around their surroundings noticed you flying in from god knows where like your life depended on it."

Their squabble went on with Batwoman making puns about Supergirl being "Ms. Perfect Sunshine" and Kara being pissed because if anyone was gonna save Lena it was going to be _her_ , not "the red angel of the night" (Batwoman has been called that by the press and a few people she saved and Kara couldn't shake that name off. _Can Gotham get any more dramatic?_ She thought at the time.). Off to the side, Harley and Lena stared at them surprised by the turn of events. Lena looks at Harley who shrugs in return with a pout. They look back at the heroines and their bickering hasn't stopped. They're in each other's face almost as close as rivals in a MMA stare down, without breaking eye contact as they hiss underlying insults, that hide reluctant admiration, at each other. Harley looks at Lena and this glance they exchange is less confused and says something more like _"Welp, this is kinda hot"_.

"Well, I'm sorry ta interrupt this _steamy_ argument with ye both trying ta patch up yer egos while bruising the other's," both women stop their bickering and turn their heads to Harley in synch, " _while havin' some heavy sexual tension._ " Harley says that in an inaudible whisper, which Kara definitely heard and genuinely wanted to punch Harley now because Kara's is sure she only has sexual tension with Lena and _maybe_ potstickers. "But none a'ye saved Ms. Luthor here." Harley gestures to Lena who just stands there a bit awkwardly, giving a tight smile. Being surrounded by "super" people wasn't exactly something she was used to. And watching Kara and Kate arguing while wearing their hero suits, when they had already met in their civilian personas but didn't know it was the other the other under the suit, was certainly something Lena _never_ expected to see. " _I_ am the one who did that." Kara raises her eyebrows and Batwoman smirks. Harley confidently rests her hands on her hips on a great 'Wonder Woman' pose. "So stop fightin a battle ya won't win 'cause it ain't even happenin' anymore." Harley finishes letting a breath out, self-satisfied.

"Um," Lena starts softly to get everyone's attention as she reminds herself that she can't talk to Batwoman or Supergirl as she usually would. "I would like to thank you all for rescuing, or trying to rescue me. I am very grateful. But, from what I understood, my kidnappers only wanted better resources for, uh, their "fish friends". So, I'm going to donate to the aquarium and all will be fine. I had just finished striking the deal when Harley here interrupted us-"

"By heroically kickin' their asses inta oblivion!" Harley says pridefully and then turns to Lena with an apologetic smile, "I _am_ sorry, though. If I knew they were letting ya go I would've not attacked 'em, but y'know…"

"Stab first, ask later?" Batwoman says giving Harley a pointed look.

"I don't do half as much stabbing as I used ta. Or as I'd like ta…" Harley defends herself. Kara shaked her head at the last exchange, sighing.

"Well, thank you very much for the _help_ , girls, but I'm taking Ms. Luthor back home." Kara says moving towards Lena, who looks rather surprised at Kara's tone; while Batwoman and Harley turn to Kara with _"Excuse ya?"_ written all over their faces and _that_ makes Kara stop because why would they find it weird that Kara was taking Lena home? "What?" Batwoman opens her mouth to speak but Harley beats her to it.

"Well, listen here, missy-"

"I can't go home." Lena butts in before there's a chance they'll get into another bickering contest.

" _What?_ " Kara asks a bit surprised.

"I need to make sure the police know that I'm pressing no charges and it was all a big misunderstanding." Harley's jaw drops to the floor and Kara closes her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Unbelievable." Batwoman says while staring at Lena. "How do you even keep a company like L Corp running with such a soft heart?"

"I am a good professional with ambition who knows what she's doing and _how_ to do it. And please, you're calling me "soft hearted" like I'm a nerd; so why don't we talk about how the first thing that came out of your mouth was "it's Britney bitch"?" Kara snorts getting a weird deja vu feeling. Harley is still amazed that Lena isn't going to press charges against the dudes who _kidnapped her_ , then _tied her up to a chair_ and weren't nice in the slightest to her, so yea, maybe, just maybe, Harley thinks she might love Lena a little bit now.

"I was saving your pretty ass! I can introduce myself however the fuck I want!" Batwoman says scoffing and gets an amused smile from Lena, the same one she always gave Kate. That doesn't quite register in Kara's mind, though she's definitely weirded the fuck out 'cause watching Lena and Batwoman argue just looks _so familiar._

"Hey! Don't talk to her like that!" Supergirl steps forward, finally standing by Lena's side.

"Oh, so first you wanna tell me how to save people's lives and now you wanna tell me how to _speak_?" Batwoman laughs, "please!" Supergirl's face grows hot with anger.

"You little-" Supergirl starts pointing her index finger at Batwoman, when a hand presses firmly against her shoulder, pushing her back as the same happens to Batwoman.

"Urgh, for fuck's sake! You two are impossible when you're like this!" Lena practically shouts exasperated making both be taken aback a little at what her words implied. "There's no fucking reason for you two to argue right now. Batwoman, you don't need to be so defensive; not everything she says is a personal attack. She's just very protective." Batwoman forces her pout into her signature smirk, making a mental note to tease Lena later about having a _Super_ bodyguard who might be just a bit _too_ fond of her. "Supergirl, if I were offended by how she talked to me I can assure you I wouldn't need you to stand up for me. This is Batwoman, not madmen with machine guns." Supergirl lets out a puff of air through her nose and then takes a deep breath.

"Alright. You're right." Supergirl says as she turns to Lena, "you're absolutely capable to stand for yourself and I should…" Supergirl looks for the right word to use.

"Be less overprotective?" Harley suggests and Supergirl's eyes go wide.

"Yup," Batwoman starts, "I'm super sure sunshine wouldn't word it exactly like that, but it super hits the mark." Supergirl would've rolled her eyes, but she's more concerned about what Lena thinks.

"I-" She tries but nothing really comes out.

"It's alright." Lena says reaching towards Supergirl but never touching her. "And it's _none_ of your business." Lena finishes glaring at Harley and Batwoman.

"Right." Batwoman says rolling her eyes.

"Yea, sorry." Harley gives and awkward, apologetic grin and shoves her hands into the back pockets of her shorts. Supergirl fully turns to Lena, giving her back to the other two.

"Why can't you come-" Supergirl clears her throat, " _go_ home?"

"I need to handle this properly, Supergirl. Or it's gonna bring bad press not only to L Corp, but our partnership with Wayne Enterprises as well, and I _do not_ need that right now."

"Alright." Supergirl does her best to hide her pout. Batwoman and Harley are standing back, watching the scene.

"Gosh, she's whipped." Harley whispers to Batwoman and sees Kara shifting awkwardly as she talks to Lena. "Shit, she heard me."

"Obviously, you dumbass. You do some seriously dumb shit for someone with a PhD, but then again so does your girlfriend. At least she has better self control and taste in man."

"She's not into men." Harley responds a bit confused. _Isn't that obvious?_

" _Exactly_." Batwoman whispers back and groans in pain when she gets an elbow to the ribs from Harley. Supergirl successfully ignores them as she speaks to Lena.

"I'll…" Supergirl doesn't know what to say or what she _should_ say. She wants to act on what she said about coming out to Lena, but it wouldn't be wise to do so in the presence of two eavesdropping _strangers_. "Just call- just let me know how it goes and if you need me." Lena smiles and wonders if Kara notices how big of a slip up saying something like that is _if_ she's trying to keep her identity secret.

"I will." Lena says and then her eyes lock on something behind Supergirl and she smiles again. Supergirl assumes that second smile is directed to Batwoman and she wonders what exactly made Lena so fond of her; sure she saved Lena's life _once_ , but why did their interaction seem so familiar to her? Supergirl smiles and turns to Batwoman.

"I'm sorry. I was stressed and we started off on the wrong foot." She extends her hand.

"You're _super_ right." Batwoman says giving Supergirl a rather impish smile as she shakes her hand. "This is one _super_ lucky lady." She nods to Lena as she releases Kara's hand and turns to Lena. "Three _super_ gorgeous ladies coming to your rescue, huh. Don't let it go to your head." She winks at Lena who laughs. Supergirl chuckles looking at Lena for a moment and then looks back at Batwoman. Except there's no one there. Just Harley discreetly fidgeting and occasionally glancing at Lena.

"Wha- where did she go?" Kara asks, eyes wide.

"Yea the bats like doing that. I think they have an issue with farewells. Probably due to childhood traumas and abandonment issues." Harley says nodding with a matter-of-fact tone.

"O-kay." Supergirl says frowning a bit at the random analysis.

"Um, excuse me Ms. Luthor. I just wanna say I had no idea yer so nice. I knew yer nice, but not _so_ nice. So, I'm sorry if offended or upset ye in anyway."

"Not at all… Harley, right?"

"Yea." Harley beams.

"You mind accompanying me to tell the police it was all a misunderstanding, Harley?" And then Lena remembers that _maybe_ Harley and the police don't have a good relationship, given that she used to be one of Gotham's most notorious rogues. "Unless that'd be compromising to you."

"Nope! The police here in New York and I haven't had reasons to fight so far." Harley smiles, "I'll take ya."

"Thanks."

"Um…" Supergirl looks at Lena pointedly, saying _"I'm_ right here _._ **I** _can take you."_ with her eyes.

"Supergirl, I'm sure National City needs you more than I do right now. New York has _at least_ Batwoman at the moment and believe me, Harley is more than capable of protecting me - and at least 5 other people all by herself - if the occasion comes up while you're away."

"But-" Supergirl isn't very comfortable leaving Lena with a-even if good hearted-murderous psychopath.

"I'm fine." Lena makes a conscious effort not to call Supergirl by her actual name.

"Doncha worry, Superlady!" Harley smiles widely at Supergirl, "Imma take good care of yer girlfriend. You'll see, she's safe as can be!" And though Harley says it enthusiastically as she drags Lena away, Kara isn't so sure about the realness of her words.

"She's not…" But they're already out of earshot. Kara huffs and for a moment ponders on keeping an eye on Lena, but she has to respect Lena like Lena does her, so she flies up and back home.

Harley and Lena chat lively as the walk to the police. Harley talks _a lot_ , telling Lena all sort of encounters she had with Batgirl and Batwoman and even a few of her encounters with Batman, but she rather stay off of those since most of them were too grim. She sadly mentions Batgirl apparently left the city and that she missed pestering the girl.

"But everyone grows and needs to move on, right? That's why I left Gotham. I needed to move on for real, y'know?" Then she goes back to talking about Batwoman; Lena is actually enjoying the talk and assumes Harley is sticking to Batwoman as the main topic because she noticed Batwoman and Lena are actual friends. "Ms. Luthor, are ye really gonna donate to the aquarium?" Harley asks with wondrous hope after a couple of anecdotes.

"Of course, Harley. I made a promise and I meant it." Harley beams and then there's a question in her eyes, underlined by melancholy, but she doesn't speak. "Why?" Lena asks, hoping it'll make Harley comfortable enough to speak.

"Well, I's just thinkin 'bout the zoo. It'd be real nice of ya if they got some help there. But that's all 'cause it reminds me of mah babies and I've a hella soft spot for animals. If _I_ could choose, everyone would donate to all the zoos and aquariums and natural reserves and- and-" Harley sighs in frustration.

"I understand." Lena smiles, "but what did you mean by your "babies"?"

"Oh, Bud and Lou. They were my hyenas. Very sweet those two, a bit wild, but so full of love."

"Oh," the word _"were"_ rings with sadness in Lena's head so strongly that she almost doesn't feel surprised by the fact that Harley had _two_ _ **hyenas**_ as pets. But she senses that that's a really sensitive territory that she shouldn't even try to step into. "Well, I'll donate to the zoo as well. All the zoos in New York City." _Maybe I should do that for National City too. I might donate to the orphanages and animals shelters but wild animals in captivity need a lot of resources too… Yea, I'm gonna do that._ Harley looks at her with wide blue eyes, "how about that?" Lena finishes with a grin.

"That'd be fucking amazeballs! You'd officially be my second favorite person _ever_!" Harley beams.

"Second? Oh, I wanted to make it first place." Lena says jokingly, nudging Harley with her shoulder; Harley laughs and shakes her head in response.

"Nah, I'm sorry señorita Luthor, but that place's permanently taken."

"Oooh, may I know who's upping my game?" Neither are able to keep a straight face; there's a sweetness to her eyes that takes over her features when said person comes to mind.

"Red… my lil' daffodill. I love her so much. She's not around right now. She needs to finish up some business in Gotham before she can join me."

"Oh, so I _do_ still have a chance." Both of them burst out laughing.

"Oh, man. Yer fun!" Harley says draping an arm over Lena's shoulder. "We're almost there. Ready to be looked at like you're from another world, and not in a good way?"

"I'm not just ready for it, I'm used to it."

"Well, at least ye don't get that effect outta people 'cause you're dropped inta a vat of acid." Harley says matter-of-factly; Lena laughs a bit, unsure of whether she should actually laugh or not at that.

A few hours later the kidnapping issue was mostly resolved. Harley had insisted to accompany Lena just in case someone decided to hurt her for real and then gives Lena her contact info _"just in case ya need a bounty hunter or sumthin. Or free advice, and by advice I mean therapy session"_. As much as that woman was clearly missing a screw or two, Lena liked her and felt that she was genuinely good intentioned despite her lack of sense of how things _should_ be done.

Lena walks out of her shower and slips into her pajamas before texting Kara.

'Hey, I'm all done and at the hotel now. I'm going back to NC tomorrow after one last meeting with Wayne Ent. Thanks for always being there for me' Lena ponders for a moment and then adds the kiss emoji and hits send. Lena places her phone on the bedside table after connecting it to the charger and as she's tucking herself in her phone buzzes. She checks it. _Kara? Why is she awake at this time?_

'Hey! Uh. Alright. Ofc. Anytime.' Lena smiles at the more awkward than usual text. 'Do you want me to pick you up at the airport tomorrow? Are you okay? I was really worried.'

'Oh, I thought you'd be asleep by now.' 'I'm alright, Kara. And there'll be a driver waiting for me.' Lena gives it a moment. 'If you want, send Supergirl just in case someone tries to blow up the car ;P'

'I couldn't sleep. Alright. Lena! That's not funny :c I will most definitely send Supergirl!'

'Lol ok. I'm gonna try to get a few hours of sleep now. And so should you.'

'Good night. Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite :) See u tomorrow Lena.'

'G'night dork. Ttyt.'


	11. Have I told you?

_Bzzzzz, bzzz._ An tune starts playing.

' _Hey hey… Bye bye bye. Bye bye.'_

"Urrrrggh" Kara groans as she flaps her hand on bedside table looking for her phone. ' _I'm doing this tonight. You're probably gonna start a fight-'_ She hits snooze. "Not now Nsync, just five minu-" Kara shoots up on her bed wiping her hair out of her face. "It's today! Oh, Rao. I can't- Nope! I'm the girl of steel. ' _Unbound. Unbent. Unbroken.'_ I can do this just fine. Well… I can try. Late. Can't be late." Kara looks at the time, yea, late…

Kara rushes back into her room, drying her hair fast, but careful not to set the towel on fire. She grabs her phone to make a call. As the phone rings, she buttons her shirt over her bra, phone caught between her shoulder and ear.

"Good mo-" Jess's voice sounds on the other side of the line.

"Jess!"

"Um, yes? This is L-"

"It's Kara! When's Lena free?"

"K-Kara? You're calling in advance?"

"Yes."

"To ask when Lena can see you instead of just showing up?"

"Yes."

"Is the world ending? Kara, are- are you dying?"

"What?! No! I just _really_ need to talk to Lena. Does she have _any_ free time in her schedule today? Like, any at all?"

"Um, yea, I think so. Give me a second to check." A moment of silence goes by, in which Kara would be fidgeting if she weren't dropping on her bed to pull her jeans over her bare legs. "At 3 she has an open spot. Not for too long, though. She has another meeting at 3:15. Maybe I can manage to push it back a little, but not too much."

"Thank you so so so much, Jess!" Kara beams. "I'm gonna bring you extra donuts and coffee." Jess stifles a laugh.

"Alright, Kara. Happy to help, especially when you're finally not getting close to messing up Ms. Luthor's schedule by randomly showing up."

"Eh," Kara doesn't really know how to reply so she chuckles a bit awkwardly.

"Bye, Kara."

"Bye, Jess."

For a split second, as Kara leaves the house to go to work, she feels like _something_ is missing. _It's probably just my nerves_. Kara thinks shoving the feeling aside. Afterall, today's the day. Today she's coming out to Lena and telling her the truth about who she really is. And if things don't go _too_ bad she could also come clean about her feelings too. It'll all depend on how Lena will react, after all they've been through, together and separately, doesn't know if it's more likely for Lena to feel betrayed for being lied to _again_ , or relieved Kara truly, and finally, opened up to her, relieved that now maybe she wouldn't have to carry her burdens alone, that now, maybe, she could open up too.

After rushing out of work, Kara walks into LCorp speed walking. It's 2:59 pm when Kara's almost at Lena's office and two people walk out making her stop on her track-a man is talking excitedly to that redhead girl Kara saw the other week. _Cisco?_

"See, I told you she'd support our idea, Babs. You just need to be more confident in yourself, gurl. And trust me, I've been working with Lena for a while now, if she sees potential in something, she'll at least try it. No matter if it came from a well known genius or her newest intern." He says reassuringly to 'Babs' as they walk past a still dumbfounded Kara. Her eyes meet the redhead's and for a moment there's that feeling of deja vu again… and then it's gone as soon as their eyes lose contact. Kara shakes her head. _Anyways, I need to call Cisco to tell him about this. The Cisco working at LCorp thing, not the weird deja vu redhead thing. He was worried his smarts were being wasted in this Earth, I'm glad I'll be able to tell him otherwise._ Kara takes a deep breath and resumes to her mission. She leaves a bag _full_ of donuts and _big_ coffee cup on Jess's desk, barely waving at her, and bursts into Lena's office.

"Lena!" The woman called upon almost tips her chair all the way back after being startled out of her body. "We need to- I need to talk to you. Tell you something." Kara says closing the door and walks towards Lena.

"Kara! What is it?" Lena, after recovering from a mini heart attack, gets up and goes to Kara.

"I- I-" Kara tries to meet Lena's eyes, mouth opening and closing uselessly. _Why is it so hard?_ "I… I need to tell you something." Lena fights the urge to say ' _Yea, I got that part.'_ Her mind starts brainstorming all the good and bad things Kara could want to tell her so urgently, but she had given up on listening the words ' _I'm Supergirl'_ a long time ago.

"Look, I didn't know if- I'm just- Look, I want you to know that I trust you, Lena. And I didn't tell you this before because it's dangerous and complicated. And you're… you, there's always someone trying to kill you or blow this building up… I didn't want to add to the pile of things that put you in danger. And- and- Look, I just-" Kara doesn't stop to breathe once.

"Kara!" Lena holds Kara's shoulders, making her silent, and pulls her into a hug. "It's okay." Lena says despite her own heart racing as fast as her thoughts. Once she feels Kara's body release a bit of the tension, she pulls back. "Whatever you need to tell me, it'll be okay. And about not telling me before- you had your reasons and that's okay. We all have things that are hard to open up about." Lena keeps on looking at Kara sweetly, despite her worry being evident in her eyes.

"Alright." Kara nods, "okay, I'm-" _Rao! Why is it so hard to_ say _it?_ So Kara reaches for the top button on her shirt. That's when it dawns on Lena and her eyes go somber, a flash of red cursing through her heart. Kara swallows dry seeing the shift in Lena's gaze, her fingers hesitate; she takes a deep breath and tugs, unbuttoning it all in one pull. Kara looks away as she drops her arms to her side. She takes another deep breath before turning her eyes back to Lena. For a moment Lena can feel the bitterness of that familiar pain slipping into her mind, she drops her eyes to Kara's torso and _Holy shit…_ Lena has an almost imperceptible blush on her cheeks, her heart is beating faster than usual, her lips are pressed into a thin line and covered by her hand. For a moment Kara thinks it's out of surprise but then she frowns in confusion when she notices Lena is _giggling_.

"I… I think I know what you _meant_ to tell me." Lena says trying to put on her serious face, but she can't keep her smirk or raised eyebrow under control. "I really wish you had told me before… It would've made things easier…" Lena makes a conscious effort not to sound angry or frustrated. "You… I'm glad you trust me enough to tell me… and we can talk about the whole 'it took you months to tell me' thing later, but um…" Lena bites her lip and her eyes drop to Kara's torso again. "Uh, that's- that's a nice bra… pink looks good on you." Lena presses her lips back together in a weak attempt to contain her smirk as Kara's eyes go wide, her face reddening as she looks down. And yup, there's no suit uder her shirt, no El crest on her chest, just the flowery pink and white bra holding her breasts.

"Oh Rao!" Kara looks up at Lena, heat never leaving her face, her hands fumble with her shirt in a desperate attempt to button it up. "Lena, I didn't-" Kara just looks horrified with embarrassment. None of the buttons going through the holes they were supposed to. "Rao. Now she'll definitely _never_ want to go on a date with me." Kara says under her breath, thinking she's just saying it in her mind. Lena's jaw drops and now she's definitely blushing too.

"It's alright Kara. Let me help you." Lena says trying to contain her smile and starts buttoning Kara's shirt; the last thing she wants is for Jess, or anyone else, to walk in and find Kara like that.

"I'm such an idiot-"

"Kara it's okay-"

"I _knew_ something was missing when I left my apartment."

"Kara, just calm down-"

"Ugh. I'm such an idiot. I never meant to-"

"Kara, it's _fine_ -"

"It never came across my mind I actually forgot to put it on-"

"Kara-"

"My head was so full- I was just really nervous about telling- I didn't mean to do this, Lena. I promise. Gosh, why do-" Lena grunts internally; she had already finished buttoning Kara's shirt, but she kept on blabbing, her blue eyes never meeting Lena's. Watching the woman before her feel guilt and shame for something she was never blamed for, Lena makes up her mind that moment. Her fingers dig into Kara's shirt, where they rested, by her collarbones, and grab a handful of the fabric to pull Kara closer, taking half a step forward.

Lena's thankful she's wearing heels since it made it easier to mostly lean in rather than up and press her lips against Kara's. It's a rather rough landing, to assure Kara is silenced for at least a second. Kara's eyes go wide, her hands stop flailing and her fame is feels so hot it might aswell be fuming. A tiny squeak comes from the back of her throat when it dawns on her, _Oh Rao, shE'S KISSING ME!_ And Lena's eyes are shut tight, and she's grasping at Kara's shirt so she won't run-or fly- away, and her lips _are_ pressed against hers. This isn't a dream. No hallucinations or illusions or tricks. This _is_ happening. Kara sighs into the kiss, letting her eyes flutter closed and her hands drop to rest on Lena's hips. When Lena feels Kara melting against her, she softens the pressure and lets her lips move more gently against Kara's. Lena slides her hands up to wrap her arms around Kara's neck and Kara wraps her arms around Lena's waist and pulls her closer. _Gosh, it's like I'm floating. She's so soft. This is so perfect._ But then she feels Lena's legs hitting against hers; Lena lets out a tiny squeal, which is muffled by Kara's mouth, and pulls away. Kara doesn't seem to acknowledge any of it because when Lena pulls away, she had a giddy smile on her parted lips and her eyes are still closed and she's just… glowing.

"Um… Kara?"

"Hmm?"

"Kara, you're floating." Kara's eyes shoot open and she looks straight down, which doesn't help much since straight down was a nice view of Lena's cleavage pressed against Kara's chest, but a bit to the side Kara sees they're a few feet over the floor.

"Oh!" Kara takes a deep breath and lands on the floor gently. "Sorry."

"I don't think I could ever forgive you." Lena jokes almost in a whisper, sliding her hand on the back of Kara's neck and before Kara can give any sort of response, Lena closes the distance between them with a kiss. Both women are in absolute bliss; though neither would be able to accurately say how they felt during this kiss, but the most accurate thought in the back of their minds (and everyone else's when they hear about it) is-

"Fucking finally." They hear Jess say, who was so surprised she forgot to be discreet, and pull apart, both tugging at their not-so-loose-strand-of-hair behind their reddened ears. KAra's looking down at the floor and Lena looks away at the plumerias on the coffee table to at least pretend to compose herself before directing her eyes back to Jess. Lena had managed to put on her CEO face, but when she sees Jess'barely contained glee, her face breaks with a smile.

"Yes, Jess?"

"Um, I came to remind you of the meeting you'll have in about 10 minutes." Jess says and glances at Kara for a moment. "Do you want me to push it back?" Lena bites her lip as she looks at a still red-cheeked Kara, who immediately locks eyes with her. Kara gives little shake of her head; it's tiny, but enough to skyrocket Lena's self-deprecating thoughts, making her heart tighten. _Did I do something wrong?_ It's barely there, under :ena's business mask, but Kara can see the slight hurt and hear the skip of her heart. Lena turns to Jess.

"No, I'll be ready for it." Jess nods, still smiling, and steps out of the office, closing the door behind her. The moment the door clicks closed, Kara's at Lena's side taking her hand.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could stay, but there's a pro-choice march that I'm covering, so I can't stay." And that's enough to loosen the tension in Lena's heart. She smiles in response, nodding,

"It's alright."

"Can you- do you want to come over tonight? For dinner and… you know, to talk." Kara bites her lip nervously, her fingers pressing into thepalm of Lena's hand.

"Yes." Lena says barely above a whisper. She clears her throat. "You think you could do me a favour? With your superspeed and all." Kara nods, "if I go over I won't have time to take care of Eddie until much later and by the time I leave work his food bowl is usually already empty. I'll give you my keys and you can go after hours. Or we can just go over to my place. Whatever you prefer."

"I'll go check up on him. I have, um, I planned some stuff so I prefer if it's at my place." Kara hears how Lena's heartbeat picks up at that.

"Alright." Lena goes over and grabs her keychain from her purse and hands it to Kara who tucks it in her own bag after fidgeting a little with it. Lena stands there watching, biting her lip when those blue eyes meet hers.

"I-" Kara doesn't even know what she planned on saying, it was just hard to stay calm and quiet when Lena was there, looking at her… looking at her like _that_. Both their eyes flicker down to the other's lips and then back up. Lena wraps a finger around one of Kara's belt loops and pulls her close, tilting her head before catching Kara's lips with hers. Kara's hands wrap around Lena's wrists as the latter buries her fingers into Kara's hips. The kiss is short but they both come out breathless. They stay close, noses bumping as they catch their breath, "maybe I should go now…" Kara says barely above a whisper. "You have notes to review. We don't want _this_ to be all you talk about in that board meeting, right?" Lena scoffs making space between them before slapping Kara's shoulder jokingly as they both chuckle.

"I'm sure that'd definitely catch their attention better than anything I _need_ to discuss in that meeting." Lena give Kara a little peck on the lips and steps away, an unerasable smile plastered on her face. "Now go, before I can't get my CEO face back." Kara chuckles.

"Alright, I'll see you tonight." She says as she walks away. "Bye"

"Bye." They both wave as Kara steps off the office. When Kara steps out, Jess is sitting at her desk, smirking; Kara thinks she waggled her eyebrows but isn't sure about it. Kara blushes, nonetheless, as she walks past Jess.

"I told you I wasn't giving up." Kara doesn't stop walking but hears Jess say, " _I knew you wouldn't."_

As soon as Kara is out of sight Jess is hurrying into Lena's office. Lena's twisting a red pen between her fingers, sitting on her chair, a giddy smile on her lips… her notes are open in front of her but the glimmer in her eyes makes it clear she's not reading them.

"Ms. Luthor." Jess calls her.

"Jess. Sorry, I didn't hear you come in."

"It's alright. I guessed you'd need help reviewing the notes." Lena sighs, smiling.

"That bad, huh?"

"Ms. Luthor, I've been watching you two dancing around each other for months now and watching you two dying to take a step closer and just not doing it. God knows we've all been waiting for it and god knows how much you deserve some happiness… Ms. Luthor." Jess finishes with a serious smile. Sure, maybe it was a bit much for an employer/employee relationship, but this was Lena and after a while of working for her, nothing would make Jess believe her boss deserved anything less than what she gave, and that was everything she had with the best effort possible.

"Jess… you're too sweet. Thank you." Lena says with a smile. Sure, she was an assitant, but Jess was many times the one responsible for Lena remembering that maybe drinking more water during the day was better than whisky, and that maybe eating regularly and sleeping should become a habit in her life. So Jess could probably come in and scold her and Lena wouldn't mind it _that_ much, tho she'd definitely mind it. "Bring me the records on the stats of our sales for the past month, please."

The march goes by peacefully, Kara manages to get everything she needs on it, including a special interview with Supergirl who came to ensure the coming pro-life marchers wouldn't try to stir up any sort of trouble. Once that's done and over with, Kara flies back to the DEO after the march and she'd there at control central, waiting for something to happen-actually, hoping _nothing_ would happen-before she has to go on her patrols and then check up on Ed. Winn is off tweaking Guardian's suit since he got a bad beat down from a rhino like alien last week; Alex was checking up some reports and Mon-El was either training, watching Winn work or at the dive. Kara just wishes _someone_ was there. Just as the thought crosses her mind, J'onn walks in; he has his usual serious expression on when locks eyes with Kara and then his expression softens with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Someone's having a good day." He says walking towards Kara to stand next to her.

"Yea… it's a pretty good day." Kara beams.

"You went to see Lena?"

"Yea, she's coming over for dinner tonight."

"Oh, I take it was a fruitful visit then. And I'm going to add her to the list of people who know you're Supergirl. I'll get the paperwork she needs to sign."

"How did you know?" J'onn gives her a pointed look.

"Oh! Right! Mind reading. And total invasion of my privacy… Uh, um, so y'know about the, um that we-"

"Yes, Kara, I know. That's what I referred to when I said 'fruitful'. I'm glad you two finally decided to address your feelings for each other, somehow. The turmoil between you two was very distracting. Sometime _very frustrating_." Kara smiles sheepishly, blushing a bit.

"Yea…"

"I'm happy for you if it works out."

"Thanks you J'onn" Kara hugs him tightly. "Are you sure Lena needs to go through all that paperwork? I didn't actually _say_ it to her."

"Kara, she saw you floating. And to say she didn't know before is an insult to her intelligence. You need to bring her to more game nights, by the way. Maybe then I can convince her to work a bit with us." Kara laughs.

"I'll try to pry her away from work for more game nights, but you'll never be able to convince her to leave L Corp."

"Oh, I definitely don't want her leaving L Corp, I just know she'd be a great addition, if not to the DEO, then to the "superfriends"." J'onn smiles and Kara beams. "Please, Kara. Stop replaying the kiss while you're patrolling. You're going to hit a building feeling giddy like that." Kara blushes and nods.

"Um, yea. I'll try. I gotta go now. See you tomorrow!" Kara hugs him and flies off, leaving J'onn with a wide smile on his face.

An hour into the patrol, Kara lands on Lena's balcony and pulls out the keys to unlock the balcony and walks in. The moment she steps in Eddie is at her feet.

"Hey pretty boy. Hey." She pets him a bit and then walks off to check his stuff. As she walks, Kara hears Eddie following her, then there's a weight on her cape and a light thud. She keeps on walking for a few more steps before giving in and looking back… to find Eddie clawing and gnawing her cape, looking very satisfied and entertained. "Eddie! Eddie, no!" the cat looks up at her and stops moving, although his claws and teeth are still digging at her cape. "Dont. Bad kitty!" Kara gives her cape a little tug and Eddie rolls off, letting the cape go. He sits up and lets out a sad meow, looking at Kara with doey eyes. "Ow, I'm sorry." Kara steps towards him to pick him up and cradle him in his arms. "It's just that I have enough people shooting at my suit, or setting it on fire or anything really. Don't think it's a good idea for you to put it in your mouth." Kara walks over to the kitchen counter and lets Eddie jump off to it. As soon as Eddie is off her arms, Kara superspeed around the house to change the water bowl, fill the practically empty food bowl. And Eddie is completely baffled on the counter staring at Kara once she's back in front of him. Kara chuckles at his expression. "I'm real fast too, buddy. Now I gotta go get ready for the log waited date with your momma." Kara says petting him and leaves a kiss on top of his head; the cat responds with a happy purr. "Ba-bye Eddie." And with that, Kara flies off to her apartment.

Kara doesn't take long showering, choosing a pastel flowery dress and slippers. Everything was perfect, really… and then she started cooking. To be quite honest, Kara _is_ a good cook. With her absolute love for food and need for large amounts, Kara saw it was something she should at least learn properly, but then she actually liked it and it turned out she was good at it, which was a blessing for Kara. But today, oh, today was _not_ her day. First Kara tried lasagna bolognese-it's filling and easy to make large amounts of and absolutely delicious, also one of Lena's favourites. That didn't work. She burnt it. Completely. The sauce got dry and the pasta… I'm not even gonna say how bad it got. Next. Chicken ended up extra dry and burnt as well. Kara couldn't figure it out, she was doing everything the way it was supposed to. Now Kara's a bit frustrated. She knew nerves could jeopardize her cooking, but really, it wasn't the first time Lena was coming over, so what's the big deal right? Kara made extra sauce so spaghetti was a great idea, right? Obviously. This one goes alright. Kara sighs in relief. All is good; she sets some of the pasta aside and spills the sauce over the pasta so it's well mixed by the time Lena gets there. _Hmm, just a little taste to make sure it's all good._ She tastes it and her face scrunches up in disgust.

"No no no. Please, tell me I didn't". Kara goes to where she left the ingredients she used on the counter and grabs what she used as salt and turns the pot around to read the label "Sugar". Kara grunts, burying her face in her hands. "Why, Rao? Why?" Kara takes a deep breath and sets her failed dishes aside. _What else does Lena like?_ Baked salmon with capers. Yea, she can do that; recipe isn't that complicated and it _is_ delicious. Honestly, if this one worked it'd be okay that all the other didn't. Kara doesn't know if she left it in for too long or set the temperature higher than she should've but the salmos got waaay too dry and there's no way she's serving dry salmon to Lena. And during that Lena _had_ to call… Of course she'd call Kara right when she's on the verge of having an attack.

"Hey, no, no. I'm fine. Just, get here whenever you can. I'm just preparing dinner for us." Unfortunately the call with Lena didn't do much to help Kara's nerves because yes, she is excited for dinner; yes, she can't wait to see Lena so they can talk… and maybe kiss. But she was still failing miserably at the first task she had for the date: cooking dinner, which she did _all_ the tim. _Fried fish. It can't go wrong with fried fish_. Kara thought to herself as she as she went through breathing exercises to keep herself calm. You know when you say " _It can't get worse than that?"_ and life just takes that as a challenge and makes it worse? Yea, well- Kara, in a hurry because the clock's ticking and Lena is probably going to be off work in less than an hour, didn't let the oil get hot enough and the fish soaked it all up and let me tell you, that shit's disgusting. Kara takes a deep breath. _Deep reath. Deep breaths. In and out. In. and out. Don't focus on the problem, focus on the solution._ Kara nods to herself swallowing the knot in her throat. :Ok. Made too much spaghetti so I use what I put aside and isn't ruined to make spaghetti alfredo. See. it's all good." Kara says outloud. She takes a deep breath and starts. Unfortunately Alfredo wasn't in the mood to help and the sauce was burnt and lumpy. Kara's shaking, she's actually almost sweating out of nerves and maybe about to cry because how could she, Kara Zor-El, a true lover of food and all it stands for, a genuinely good cook, a genius even among Kryptonians, ruin so many dishes?

Meanwhile, Lena is finishing up, definitely in a bit of a rush. Tonight was her first date with Kara and she needed to go up to the private suite to take a shower and hopefully get a change of clothes, but she couldn't remember if she actually had one at the suite. Lena divides the contracts in piles according to projects and their statuses and slides each pile into their respective folders. Lena calls Jess.

"Jess, I'm done with these," Lena hands her one of the folders. "And these need revising." She hands a second folder to Jess. "My notes are there. Is anyone still here?"

"Alright. No, just us."

"Okay, then go home. I finished here and I just need to go to the suite before leaving." Jess smiles.

"You still have a change of clothes there."

"Oh, good. Thank you, Jess."

"Goodbye, Ms. Luthor." Jess bites her lip pondering for a second. "Good luck on your date with Kara." And before Lena can do anything other than look surprised Jess speeds out of the office. As Lena walks towards the elevator she dials Kara.

"Lena?" Kara answers her phone sounding rather serious.

"Hey, I just finished here. Did you have the chance to go see Eddie or-"

"Yes. I checked up on him. He's all good."

"Oh, thank you! I'll see you soon then."

"Uh, yea of course."

"Um, is everything alright? Did something happen. If you can't make it tonight, it's alright."

"No, no! Can definitely make it. Just concentrated here. And don't worry, take as long as you want. I'm still preparing dinner for us."

"Oh, alright then." She bites her lips. "I- I'm really excited for tonight." She hears Kara taking a deep breath as if to remind herself to breathe properly.

"Me too. I can't wait for… for you to get here. But don't worry! If something delays you, it's completely okay. And if anything happens call me."

"Alright. I'll see you later. Just going to freshen up." They say their shy farewells and hang up. Lena looks on as the numbers in the elevator panel change as it takes her to the suite's floor. Lena thinks for a moment and dials another number. "Kate."

"Heeey, bab- Damian shut the fuck up. I don't care you're bored. Your father said you're staying here so that's what you're gonna do. He's gonna be back in half an hour anyways so chill. Gosh." Kate sighs. "Sorry, Lena. Someone is being a brat. Honestly, if I can learn to stay put for the time I need, I don't understand why a fucking _ninja_ can't do the same. Anyways, how are you?"

"I- I'm good." Lena chooses not comment on the whole ordeal that happened there; Lena was more than aware of the Wayne and Kane situation, but also aware there were things better left unsaid.

"That sounds like you're more than ok and trying to be chill about it."

"I'm going on date-"

"With Kara? OH MY GOD LEE! Fucking finally! I swear to god! If you two hadn't gotten together by this Friday, I would lock you two inside a closet." Lena giggles.

"Yea, I can see that going south very quickly. Alex wouldn't take the whole "I locked your sister in a closet" thing very well."

"I don't see how that's remotely related to the topic. You know what _is_ related, though? Supergirl. The way she got just 'cause I was trying to rescue you… the girl's gonna be heartbroken when she finds out you've gone for the adorable reporter instead of her sun shining ass." Lena laughs as she walks out of the elevator.

"I'm sure Supergirl won't mind, sweetie."

"Yea, whatever you say, pretty face."

"I gotta go now. Just wanted to let you know."

"Alright, go slay the girl. Also, Jess must be so happy. From what she told me, she's been waiting for this for an eternity."

"Jess told you about this?"

"Don't worry she wouldn't say it to anyone else. You know I just have a certain ease getting info outta people."

"Yes, 'cause you're an absolute asshole. Jess didn't stop blushing for the whole time you were here and actually got distracted from work, which _never_ happens."

"That was the last time. I promise. And I had that other date anyways."

"Oh, right! How did it go?"

"It was fun. Maggie is so sweet and cute. She's got a lil daughter, who's the cutest little thing. But there was no… spark. So we're staying friends. I'm actually gonna help her get the full custody of her daughter. We found out the father's hitting her. It's awful cause the kid loves him and doesn't get that he's never gonna stop."

"Oh no." Lena lets out a deep sigh. "That's awful. But with you helping her get a good lawyer, the girl will be safe soon enough."

"Yea, hopefully. But go! Get ready for the date. Go get the girl, baby!" Lena chuckles.

"That I'll do." She says smiling and they hang up. Lena takes a quick shower, keeps her makeup simple and goes to the small wardrobe to see what were her options. She had loose _Pink Floyd_ black tank top, a tight white shirt with the print "I don't care" on it, dark jeans, black leather belt with silver rings engraved on it, her thicker leather jacket and her converse pair. _When the hell did I make this outfit choice for the suite?_ Lena really prefered to go wearing heels, but they wouldn't really match, so she goes for the _Pink Floyd_ shirt, jeans, jacket and the converse. Lena types "omw" and messages it to Kara, who then is about to cry. Lena looks at the mirror one last time, _Gosh, if I was wearing a beanie it'd be as if I were back in college._ ' Lena calls James and once he arrives she swiftly slips onto the back seat.

"Going home, Ms. Luthor?" James asks her.

"Um, no." Lena almost blushes, despite herself. "To Kara Danvers' apartment, James." He raises his eyebrows, smiling. Despite them having dinner almost everyday, Lena never went right from work, so this was especial, James could feel it, and it made him sigh gladly. Lena sends James home as soon as they get to Kara's and bids him goodnight. The closer she got to Kara's door, the more nervous she got. There was a turmoil inside her. So many thoughts, too many feelings. A part of her wanting to feel betrayed because Kara took _all_ this time to tell her, but then glad because she finally did. And then the date and Kara already having a plan in mind for it. Lena takes a deep breath and knocks. It takes longer than usual for Kara to answer the door, which means that instead of answering immediately, Kara took 5 seconds to do it. And Lena would've had her breath taken away by the sight in front of her if Kara's eyes weren't red, a frown hadn't taken over her features, which she was trying to force away, and hands shaking almost unnoticeably.

"Kara." Lena tries to smile despite being worried.

"Hi." Kara says, jaw clenching and she takes a step back to let Lena step in, taking in the view of Lena looking more casual than she has ever seen, and Lena walks in after a moment of hesitation. She's assaulted by a mix of smells that maybe she could pinpoint what they are if they weren't all coming at her at the same time. She looks over at the kitchen and sees so many containers and plates and pots.

"So…" Lena starts but gets no chance to continue.

"Lena I ruined all of them, all of them. I was cooking dinner but I don't know what happened that I didn't get even one of them right. I ruined everything. It was going to be great." Kara speaks quickly without taking time to breath or meet Lena's eyes. Lena takes a step forward and holds both of Kara's flailingly hands in hers.

"Kara, it's ok. Y-"

"It's not okay. I don't understand. Everything was going so well. I don't-"

"Kara! Are you here?" Kara stops, looking oddly at Lena. Lena raises her eyebrows waiting for an answer.

"Y- yea, I- I'm here."

"Okay. Good. Now, am I here?" Kara frowns and squeezes Lena's hands a bit as if to make sure she's actually there.

"Yea… yea you're here."

"Then there's no way this isn't going to be absolutely amazing." Lena concludes smiling. Kara's eyes well up and overflood so quickly neither of them have a moment to register Kara was about to start crying. And a sob comes out of her throat reluctantly. "Kara, Kara, shhh." Lena pulls Kara into a hug, wrapping her arms around the taller girl's shoulders. Kara leans down so she can bury her face in the crook of Lena's neck and lets her tears flow as she wraps her arms tightly around Lena, keeping in mind not to do it too tightly. "Shhh, darling, it's okay. We're gonna order some food alright? You don't have to worry about it. Honestly, Kara. This is fine… It's more than fine." Lena speaks softly against Kara's ear and leaves a kiss there. She feels Kara nodding and slowly loosening her hold on Lena until she lets go. Lena cradles Kara's face in her hands and dries the tears with her thumbs. "You're okay?" Kara nods and clears her throat.

"I just got really anxious. This hasn't happened since my first week of learning how to cook. I've never ruined food so badly."

"That's okay. Happens to the best of us." Lena say as Kara leans against her touch. Lena's eyes flicker down to Kara's lips and then back up to her eyes, and she could see it in them that Kara was thinking the same as her. They've already kissed by now, they already made it more than obvious they want each other, but they're not _used_ to it. Lena licks her lips and Kara bites hers. She leans in, still holding Kara's face, and presses their lips together, softly, and then she pulls back and kisses her again and again and again and again and again and again and again, until Kara's giggling, her own hands holding Lena's wrists, softly caressing them then with her thumbs. "Now, _that_ is music to my ears." Lena says leaving another kiss on Kara's lips and steps back. "I'm gonna get delivery, alright?" Kara nods.

"I'll start cleaning up while you're doing that."

"Alright." Lena dials, says she wants delivery, gives Kara's address. "How many potstickers come per portion? Alright, I'll want 15 then. Yes, 15. And four chow mein, two pork, two beef. Credit card. Thank you. Good evening." She hangs up and calls another number. In the meantime Kara is getting rid off the ruined food and listening to Lena. "Hey, Carla. How are you? Everything is fine. Yes, but not my usual order. I want your extra box. And you know the ones that I like, so two of each please. No, different address." Lena gives Kara's address, bids farewell and hangs up. When she turns around, she notices the dishes are clean and drying. "Well, that was quick."

"I got super speed, remember?"

"How could I ever forget. But wouldn't it-"

"I don't go fast enough to break anything. Just make it quicker." Lena nods as she tucks her phone in her jacket pocket and saunters towards Kara with a smile. Kara bites her lip, but only leans back against the counter island, watching Lena come to her. Once she reaches Kara, Lena rests her hands on the counter Kara's leaning on, framing the taller girl's waist. She looks up at Kara momentarily cursing that she isn't wearing heels. And then Kara looks down at her smiling with a sparkle in her eyes. "What's up rock star? What did you get us on that second call?" Lena frowns, _Rock sta- oh, right, my clothes._ Lena realises and for some reason blushes hiding her face in Kara's neck, letting her hands move from the counter to wrap her arms around Kara's waist. "What?" Kara asks chuckling and hugs Lena back. Lena really could've stayed like that 'till the delivery guy knocked on the door, but maybe it'd be weird so better not. Lena pulls back a bit and gets on the tip of her toes to reach Kara and kiss her softly. Kara gasps lightly and then smiles at the sound of Lena's heart picking up just like her own. That's something neither would ever tire of. Lena pulls away just enough for her to speak without mumbling against Kara's lips.

"What else did you have planned for us, Supergirl?"

"Uh, um." Kara really didn't expect Lena to call her 'Supergirl' and her mind goes blank. "I-"

"How about we talk? I have the feeling you have lots to tell me."

"Right." Lena steps back and holds both of Kara's hands.

"We can do it slowly. You take the time you need. I'd love to know your real name, though. And maybe sit on the couch?" Kara smiles.

"Alright." Lena takes her jacket off and hangs it on a dining chair (the one she always sits on) before taking Kara's hand and leading her to the couch. They sit facing each other and when Lena notices Kara is still a bit nervous, she brings the hand she's still holding up and kisses it softly hoping it'd calm, um, her girlfriend? Yea, they still needed to talk about it. Like does Kara want to have a few dates and then decide? Or does she want to do that from now? _Oh god_ , is she gonna do the "change relationship" status thing? On the other end, those questions hadn't even began to cross Kara's mind. She was more worried with what revealing herself to Lena meant… what it could mean. What if she could never see her the same way again? What if it broke something between them? Honestly, that's what had Kara nervous: the possibility of losing Lena right when she finally got her in her arms. But then she feels Lena's soft lips pressing against her fingers and she sees that sweet smile and so much sincerity and plain happiness in her eyes. "I- I'm Kara Zor-El." Kara says practically blurting out her words.

"Kara Zor-El." Lena lets the words roll off her tongue slowly, tasting the name. She smiles, "nice to meet you, Kara Zor-El." Kara smiles back. "Was… was that hard?"

"I bit, yea."

"Why?" And Kara could hear the underlying question in that one word.

"For the same reason it took me so long to tell you I'm Supergirl. I- And I know we've talked about this not so long ago. But you knowing who I am… who I _really_ am that brings so many complications. And it puts you in danger. A lot of danger. And you already being a Luthor, I didn't want to add to it." Lena can see the pain is Kara's eyes, so she smiles softly.

"I understand. I can't say there was no slight hurt that it took you so long, but I understand. I'm glad though. With the extra danger and all. Now I get to know _you._ With no badly told lies and attempts at sneaking around." Lena brings Kara's hand up and leaves a kiss on Kara's palm before pressing it against her cheek. "Now I can get to know Kara Zor-El _._ And that's worth it. I- I remember what I said that karaoke night. About your eyes- about there being a world in them that I want to learn all about. I meant it then and I mean it now, love. I'll take all you can give. And you'll get everything I've got in return. And I don't need you to spill everything at once. I know it's not easy to… _talk._ So we'll take as long as you need. For anything." Kara really doesn't know if she should cry, laugh, smile or squeal. So she brings her free hand up to hold Lena's free cheek to pull her towards herself and press their lips together. After a moment Kara sighs into the kiss and lets her body lean back until she's resting on the couch's arm, bringing Lena with her. Lena's arms are bracketing Kara's torso, but _gosh_ Kara's lips are melting her and gravity doesn't help in the slightest, so slowly Lena's body lowers against Kara's. Lena breaks the kiss to breathe, pulling her face off Kara's hold. "God." Lena says looking at Kara, eyes still closed, lips still parted in a smile of complete awe. _God, look at her._ She groans and buries her face in the crook of Kara's neck.

"What?" Kara asks opening her eyes as she wraps her arms around Lena's waist. Lena just groans again against Kara's skin. "Lena?" Lena moves her lips away from Kara's skin so she can speak properly.

"You just- I- urgh. I've wanted- I've been _dreaming_ about this for quite a while. Why did we take so long?"

"Oh, um uh-" Lena shoots her face back up so she's looking Kara in the eye.

"Because we're absolute idiots who" Lena groans and Kara stretched her neck to give her a quick kiss, "clearly," Kara gives her a longer kiss, "can't-" and Lena _was_ going somewhere with that sentence but Kara just traps her lips with hers and sucks Lena's lower between her teeth before returning to the gentle kissing, and whatever Lena had in mind is no longer there. Lena's neck starts hurting a bit and she breaks the kiss, both heaving for air. She rests her head on Kara's shoulder and they stay there for a while. Just feeling each other's heartbeat, hearing the heavy breathing turning softer.

"I was about to get accepted into the Science Guild when… when I was sent here." Lena rest her weight on her elbows so she can keep herself up to look at Kara better.

"Science Guild? So, you got a scientific brain inside that head that has the knowledge of alien technology that is so much more advanced than ours and you decided to go for _journalism_? Actually, no, that was after we met. First, you went for working as an assistant?" Lena asks with the hint of an amused laughter on her lips.

"Well, let's start with that when I got here it was hard for me to get used to the technology 'cause we hadn't used anything like that in Krypton for _thousands_ of years. It was completely barbaric to me." Lena scoffs and Kara chuckles. "I know, I know. I got my superiority thing under control now, but then?" Kara shakes her head. "But despite that, we were always trying to hide my true identity for obvious reasons. So I started concentrating on other things, like art. English is my… sixth language I think? So, sometimes it gets mixed up a bit in my head with the other languages which makes me not as good as I _could_ be, but I do down play it anyways. It's annoying, but… well, I can't have _everyone_ knowing I'm Supergirl."

"Tell me about the Science Guild."

"Oh, it is- um, was an assemblage of the best, most esteemed scientific minds of Krypton… Argo City… It's one of the five guilds and the Science Guild's part was to do basically the same scientists do here. Research, discover, improve. Except we were _way_ more advanced." Lena raises an eyebrow with a little smug smile. "Righ. Sorry. My mother, Alura, she was part of it as well as my father Zor-El, uncle Jor-El, Lilo and Bar-El. Last two were distant cousins, famous for going off to explore space, visit our moons, Meithen and Wegthor. They never came back though. Which is sad, but sort of sets a pattern for the house of El never returning to Krypton."

"You miss it." Kara would expect that as question, but Lena's eyes are digging deep into hers and Kara sees it's a statement, a declaration that Lena understands; she might not know how it is to lose something in that magnitude, but she does understand _loss_.

"I do. Every day." Lena is about to speak when there's a knock on the door.

"Stay here. I'll get it." Lena goes get their delivery, gives a generous tip and when she returns to the couch Kara isn't there. She sets the bag on the coffee table and in a flash Kara's back placing a pile of papers on the coffee table. "Kara this is our first date. You can't divorce me yet." Lena says in a serious tone as she sits down eyeing the pile. Kara frowns for a second and the laughs.

"Gosh, Lena… I-" _Don't say that Kara. That'd be too much, too soon._ "That's actually the papers you have to sign because you, um, know that I'm Supergirl."

"Oh, wow. Alright. I'll take it home to look over it and deliver it to the DEO asap."

"Um, you know where the DEO is?"

"Of course I do, Kara. It's really not that hard to see where a red cape is flying to or from."

"Oh." Kara fidgets. "Well, let's get to it." Kara says and starts pulling things out of the paper bag when there's another knock on the door. "Oooh! Must be the mysterious delivery."

"No peeking allowed." Lena says with a side smile as she gets off the couch to get the door. Kara pouts and keeps on pulling things from the paper bag and _damn_ Lena really went all in with that potstickers order. Only time she had seen more potstickers was at the L Corp gala. Kara hears lively chatter but doesn't try to actually _listen_ to what they're saying; in a few moments the door is shut and Lena's walking back with a huge pink box that Kara immediately recognizes it.

"Are those cupcakes?!"

"I told you no peeking!" Lena says trying not to smile and sets the box on the coffee table.

"I didn't! Just that that's where Cat used to get her cupcakes. It's Rosé Cupcakes right?" Lena smirks knowingly as she nods.

"Yes it is." Kara, though finding it odd, chooses not to ask what brought that smile to Lena's face. You see, Rosé Cupcakes is where every rich queer person goes buy their sugary goodies; it's pretty much the gay elite hotspot. You want gossip? Wanna know who's dating who? Who's gay who isn't? You go to Rosé cupcakes to get all the steamy talk. So you can bet that right at this moment, even if just among the employees, there's talk that the one and only Lena Luthor, loyal customer, has had a huge box delivered not to her apartment, not to L Corp, but to a completely new address. And you can bet that though Kara was leaning over to coffee table, the delivery guy got a glimpse that there was someone else in the apartment; so there'll be gossip soon enough that _Lena Luthor_ is _dating._ But we're getting sidetracked here. Let's go back to that couch were Lena and Kara are eating chow mein and potstickers while they chat lively and scooch closer and closer to each other. They finish eating and get to the cupcakes and Kara's so excited that she doesn't even notice when a bit (actually a lot) of frosting is smeared from her lips down to her jaw and that is what Lena would call "an opportunity" and so she takes it. Lena holds Kara's jaw with her thumb and index finger and tilts her head a bit before leaning in. She sticks her tongue out and presses the tip of it on Kara's skin before slowly licking up, making sure she leaves nothing behind. Kara's face gets hotter instantly growing redder by the second. Once done, Lena hums in delight, not letting Kara go or leaning back. "Mmmm. Absolutely delicious… the frosting's pretty nice too." Kara's eyes go wide and she pulls away letting her body fall against the couch's arm and covers her face with a pillow as she groans into it. Lena bites her lip and waits. Kara pulls the pillow down just enough to lock eyes with Lena and the latter smiles at her sheepishly. "Too much, too soon?" And Kara's groaning and bring the pillow back up again. A few moment pass and Lena waits patiently as she finishes the cupcake she was eating. Kara sits up again putting the pillow aside.

"I swear you're getting payback one day." Lena smiles innocently at Kara but then says in a sultry voice.

"Can't _wait_ for _that_." Kara goes beet red and Lena smirks before grabbing a cupcake. "Here, have the last one. It's the least I can do."

"We can split it in half."

"No, I want you to have it all." And boy, Kara knows that's about the cupcake, but does that hit her heart hard.

"I- okay then."

After that they chat a bit more, Lena tells her all about the new projects with clean energy, Kara tells her about the recent encounters with aliens or such, and soon they find themselves cuddling, as usual Kara leaning against the sofa's arm and Lena between her legs, laying comfortably against her, both nicely wrapped in each other and a soft blanket while they watch one or other movie. Close to the ending, Lena is really not paying attention anymore. She's safely wrapped in Kara's arms, she's warm against her chest, she looks up at the woman who's absentmindedly stroking Lena's arm with her thumb, the scenes reflecting on her ocean deep eyes, and she wants to kiss her so bad, all she'd have to do is stretch her neck and have Kara look at her to press their lips together and _god_ she _can_ do that now. Lena's 100% sure she's going to die in the next few days, 'cause if things were too good, something was bound to go wrong. And them being this good the only equivalent is her getting propelled off a building by a catapult on fire. So she better take advantage of the time she has left, right? God knows it could happen many times, and no matter how many times she kisses Kara, hugs Kara, holds Kara's hand, leans against Kara, sees that sparkle in Kara's eyes, even if she does it a thousand times, the moment she dies she's sure she could've done it at least one more time. Lena stretches her neck and plants a kiss on Kara's neck, right where Lena could feel her pulse. Lena hears Kara take a sharp breath in and then, after Lena keeps her lips pressed against the warm skin, she feels Kara sigh, pulling Lena closer.

"Lena." Kara whispers against the dark hair and Lena looks up to be met with dark blue eyes digging deep into hers before Kara leans in trapping her lips gently. _Oh Rao_. Kara feels herself melting, pooling and _gosh_ she'd never grow tired of feeling Lena melting against her every time their lips meet, every time she whispers something sweet or even just Lena's name against her, every time she pulls Lena closer and Lena lets herself be molded against Kara's body. Yea, Kara could never grow tired of this. Every time the kisses start getting heated they cool down a bit, Lena makes sure to keep the biting and sucking scarce otherwise the "taking it slow" is only going to last a few minutes. They go like that until after the credits finish rolling and the screen has gone black. Lena pulls back to breathe, both their chests heaving.

"It's getting late." Kara lets out, her voice hoarse.

"Oh." Lena says and starts preparing herself to get off Kara, knowing very well it'll feel like she's freezing once she pulls away from the taller woman.

"No. I- um, I was gonna say… you can stay over if you want." Lena raises her eyebrows, slightly taken aback.

" _Oh_."

"No, nono, I meant like- just- y'know. Like I always stay over at your place, but this time we're both sober." Lena smiles and gives Kara a peck on the tip of her nose.

"I appreciate it, but you're right. It _is_ getting late and tomorrow I have work, plus the DEO papers. So I do need to go home." Kara pouts. "Yea, I know. Wish I could stay too." Lena kisses Kara languidly. "Can you take me home? I dismissed James and _really_ don't wanna call an uber."

"I'm sorry, is the CEO of a multimillion company being cheap?" Lena scoffs. "I'll take you. Anything to spend more time with you." And _that_ brings a hint of heat to Lena's cheeks.

"Okay." Lena get's up and starts piling the take out boxes to take to the trash, but Kara stops her.

"Let me do that. You get ready." And by the time Lena is halfway through putting her jacket on Kara's waiting for in her Supergirl suit. Lena turns to Kara biting her lip and looking her up and down. "Ready to go Ms. Luthor?" Kara says in her Supergirl voice, smirking.

"I… Absolutely, Supergirl." Kara strides over and sweeps Lena off her feet with no warning making the latter gasp loudly in surprise. Kara grins widely at Lena's breathless and surprise face. Once they're out on the sky, Kara's flying not too fast and starts humming. And Lena feels it's familiar but can't quite figure it out. "What are you humming?"

"A whole new world! A new fantastic point of view." Kara starts singing and Lena bursts out laughing. "No one to tell us no, or where to go, or say we're simply dreaming!"

"Ok, you can stop now." Lena says seriously but her smile betrays her.

"A whole new world! A dazzling place I never knew! But when I'm way up here, it's crystal clear that I'm now in a whole new world with you! Now I'm in a whole new world with you…" Kara goes silent for a beat increasing her height a bit and stops and looks out to the scenery before her. That makes Lena think Kara's done singing so she kisses her cheek and looks at the view like Kara is.

"Unbelievable sights!" Kara picks the song up again smiling at Lena and starts flying to Lena's penthouse again. "Indescribable feeling!" and she's looking so endearingly at Lena that the latter blushes. "Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling!" And Kara just drops a few feet out of nowhere.

"AH!" Lena screams grasping Kara desperately. Kara bursts out laughing; she returns to her normal flying but doesn't stop laughing. "Why would you?!"

"It went with the theme of the song. I didn't even spiral or anything." Kara says in between gasps as she cackles.

"But you're holding me! Why would you do that?!" Kara manages to down her loud laughter to a chuckling. "You're such an asshole!" Lena hits Kara's shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I'm really really sorry. That was indeed an asshole move. I promise I won't do it again. I know you're not a big fan of flying. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done it. Sorry." And as Kara talks her expression sobers up. Lena has turned her face away from Kara, crossing her arms in front of her chest. She might've just been scared to death, but she knows Kara would never actually let go of her. Kara listens in as Lena's heartbeat returns to normal, and as that happens Lena's scowl softens, her body starts relaxing on Kara's arms again. "I really am sorry."

"I know." Lena turns to Kara and gives her a small smile.

"Did I ruin the date?" Lena chuckles and wraps her arms around Kara again.

"No. I'm still very much alive and in your arms. It's still going pretty well." Kara laughs.

"Great. Well, since I didn't ruin the date… your reaction was totally worth it." Lena scoffs shaking her head at Kara in disbelief and slaps her shoulder jokingly.

"You're impossible. And I might not be livid with rage, but it's still not okay with it and you're never doing that ever again."

"I know. I promise I won't scare you like that again."

"I felt like my heart was gonna jump out of my chest and this is not the sort of situation I'd like to feel that." Kara quirks an eyebrow at Lena, smirking.

"What kind of situation would you rather feel like your heart is gonna jump out of your chest?" Lena smirks back.

"Guess you're gonna have to find out." Kara changes her position to land on Lena's balcony.

"Safely delivered to your home, ma'am." Kara says after Lena is standing on her own two legs.

"I am ever so thankful, Supergirl." Lena says with a little bow of her head. They both chuckle and Lena bites her lip. Kara stares at Lena's eyes, almost blue under the night sky and slowly her jaw slacks as reaches out to hold Lena's hand. She pulls Lena closer, breaking her away from a similar daze. Lena wraps her arms around Kara's waist and the latter lets her arms rest on Lena's shoulder as she plays with her hair. Kara leans down, resting her forehead on Lena's; they're at kissing distance but never kiss. One breath. And both of them feel compelled to close their eyes. A second breath. Kara hears Lena's heartbeat pick up as her own. Third breath. "You wanna come in?" Kara hears Lena's voice in a hoarse whisper and when she opens her eyes she can barely see the green around Lena's dilated pupils. And maybe that made Kara interpret the question in a different way than Lena meant it.

"I- I don't think I should." Kara takes a deep breath as Lena bites her lip pulling Kara closer as her heartbeat picks up even more.

"Can I kiss you, then?" Kara nods, barely moving, not wanting to break contact from Lena. Lena takes a sharp breath in and stands on her tiptoes to kiss Kara. Lena is expecting this kiss to be soft and gentle and maybe even short, since they're trying to take it slow (which is hard since they've been basically dating but without the kissing for like a month). But then Kara's digging her fingers in Lena's hair, grasping and gasping and tugging her closer. And Lena finds herself desperately grasping Kara's back, her fingers digging into the suit and her muscles. Lena breaks the kiss gasping for air and instead of waiting for Lena to recover her breath, as she did every time before, Kara starts streaming Lena's jaw with wet kisses and then down her neck. "Oh god." is the only thing Lena manages to gasp out as she unwraps an arm from around Kara's waist to tangle her fingers in Kara's hair, grasping, pulling. When Kara hears Lena's breathing is better, she's pressing her lips against Lena's again. She sucks Lena's lower lip in between her teeth to slide the tip of her tongue across it. Lena's legs feel weak and she opens her mouth letting Kara slide her tongue in. The latter slides her hands down to Lena's hips to hold her up and guide her as she starts walking 'till they're stopped by the balcony grill. Lena gasps in surprise when she feels the cold metal against her back. "Babe." Lena places a hand on Kara's chest, but Kara keeps on spreading kisses across Lena's skin. "Kara," Lena breathes out, "babe, please." Kara stops looking for Lena's eyes, but the latter has her head thrown a bit back, eyes closed.

"Yes?" Kara asks with a gruff voice.

"I…" Lena takes a deep breath finally opening her eyes and locking them on Kara's."I think… we should stop… if you still want the whole "taking it slow" thing." Kara's eyes go wide and she moves her hands from Lena's hips to the railing, bracketing Lena's body.

"Right. I… yea. Not making that easy. I just… You asked me to come in…"

"I know, but you don't need to walk into anything you don't feel ready yet. And _wanting_ something doesn't automatically makes you _ready_ for it." Kara nods.

"I… I know I'm not ready. At least not on the first week. I want us to go slow. And god, I- believe me, you just- you-" Lena lets out a breath gesturing to Kara in general. "But I need to take it slow. Well, slower than I usually do. I don't want to handle this how I handled my other relationships. I want to do this right." Kara smiles sweetly.

"Alright. You need to get some sleep and so do I. So I'm gonna go now, but then I want to talk about the "slower than usual" thing. And the whole "do it right" 'cause so far you're acing this." Lena chuckles.

"Deal. Tomorrow then."

"Dinner?"

"Yes." Kara grins and leans down to give Lena a peck on the lips "Good night."

"Good night, Ms. Luthor." Kara says stepping back with a playful smile and flies off. Lena groans throwing her head back. She walks into her room and locks the balcony again. In a few minutes she's stripped naked and sliding under her covers, but every nerve in her body is still fired up, her muscles tense, aching. _There's no way I'll be able to sleep like this._ And her hands are promptly skimming across her body, caressing and teasing and slipping between her folds until she releases a final throaty sigh of relief, feeling the tension spill out of her body slowly, in waves, as she grasps at her bedsheets, her mind crowded by Kara, Kara, _Kara_. And Kara, on her own bed, find herself biting the pillow she's burying her face in as her body short circuits with her hand still buried in her pants and the only thing that is still palpable in Kara's mind for the next minutes is Lena.

Kara feels like she should tell everyone. But they're all so busy and she's nervous, so it doesn't happen, although she believes she should talk with Kal as soon as things get "solid" with Lena. She really wishes she could tell the world about it, but when she's off work sitting on her couch with Lena resting against her while they eat pizza, it really doesn't bother her that it'll take a while for her to tell Alex and everyone else about them.

"So… You wanna talk?" Kara prompts and Lena stiffens, but somehow Kara knows it's only out of discomfort with the whole "opening up" thing that is bothering, and not the telling Kara about it thing. Lena ponders on playing dumb for a second, just to delay the talk a bit, but decides there's no point.

"Alright." Lena says sitting up and turning to face Kara as she crosses her legs. "I-" Lena takes a deep breath and Kara smiles at her encouragingly. "I rather take it slow because I- I care about you. A lot. So much." Lena huffs. "Gosh. It's ridiculous how much I like you." And Kara smiles sweetly trying not get flustered. "And I feel like I need to act differently so my brain doesn't go on override because it's noticing similar patterns to how I did it before." Kara nods, pondering.

"What do you mean, exactly? That you never took it slow in your previous relationships and they ended awfully and you think it was 'cause of that?"

"No. No, it's- I've only been… I had one other relationship that was actually something I could call a real relationship. Everything else… I haven't been in a relationship ever since. I- it's only been one night stands, flings and the sort. And not that many to be honest. I couldn't- wouldn't risk what I couldn't afford losing. I just automatically started shutting people out. I tried not to do it once and it was impossible. So… I don't to shut you out because my brain noticed similar patterns and then starts reacting because that's how it's been happening for so long."

"I-" Kara tries but then she just smiles sweetly at Lena, cupping her cheek with her hand. "That's alright. You can trust me, Lena. You know that. And we'll wait as long as it takes. It doesn't matter. At all. I- I'm not doing this because all I want to do goof around or… or have sex with you. All I want is you. Having you around, listening about your day, your successes, your troubles… watching movies and eating whatever we get our hands on first. Flying you around town. Sitting with you in silence as we both work on our laptops. Just all those little things that prove how much I want you in my life. I want all of that. Sex is just one more way of knowing you, having fun with you, showing how much I want you in my life." Kara leans forward, and uses her hands to dip Lena's face and kisses her forehead. When Kara starts leaning back, Lena pushes herself up towards Kara to bury her face in the crook of her neck and hugs her. Kara chuckles and rubs Lena's back with her hands. "Everything okay in there?" Kara taps Lena's head and the latter nods before leaving a kiss on the patch of skin closest to her.

"I… I was going to say, all I want for Christmas is you, but that wouldn't be accurate 'cause I want you for every holiday possible and the non-holidays days too." Kara laughs out loud and swings Lena on top of her to one side then back.

"You absolute sap. I want you for all the holidays and non-holidays days too." And honestly was that even a surprise?

They're sitting at Lena's dining table while Lena reads a report on one of their new prototypes as she sips a cup of tea and Kara types on her computer, trying to write an article which really wasn't happening because she was fidgeting a lot. Kara's typing random words, or maybe a question and then immediately erases it to write it again and erase it again. Lena had learned to wait for Kara to work through it in her head and that she'd eventually voice what was bothering her. Of course, there was the more conflicted fidgeting that Lena didn't wait before asking what was wrong. Kara finally stops her mindless typing and looks up to Lena as she tilts the laptop's screen a bit down. Lena feels Kara's eyes on her and sees her moving in her peripheral, but keeps on reading calmly. She pushes her glasses back up her nose bridge and takes a sip of her tea.

"Lena, am I your girlfriend?" Lena chokes on her tea and as she's trying to stop that 'cause now Kara is starting to look a bit panicked, Lena places the bookmarker in the book before setting it aside. Kara is about to stand up and go to Lena when the woman clears her throat, rubbing her own chest.

"Well," Lena takes a deep breath, looking at a wide eyed, expectant Kara. "I sure as hell hope so." Kara blushes despite the sigh of relief she breathes out. "Wasn't that the whole point of dating? If it worked then we keep doing it, if it doesn't work we don't try it again and pretend it never happened." Kara gives Lena an amused smile.

"Well, I wasn't sure it you wanted to make it _serious_ or not. I rather ask than…"

"Stay in doubt. I know." Lena smiles sweetly at her and reaches for Kara's hand to place a kiss on her knuckles. "Now you can be sure of it."

"That you're my _girlfriend_." Kara has a wide grin on her face, not letting Lena's hand go. Lena scrunches up her nose despite her own smile.

"It sounds so... unusual." Kara frowns.

"Unusual?"

"Yea, as in I'm not _used_ to it. You've been just my friend for so long, knowing you're something more now… it's exciting." Lena bites her lip, a playful spark in her eyes. "Taking you to business dinners and galas will have a whole new meaning."

"We'll cause quite the commotion." Kara says, her smile matching the mischievous light in Lena's eyes.

"Oh, you have no idea, love. No one gossips quite like the high class circles." They chuckle, as if it were all a joke, but to be honest, they'd both enjoy teasing the invitees, pretending they don't notice their withheld scandalized faces and the somewhat discreet whispers. Of course, they also didn't know there was already gossip going around since Lena ordered those cupcakes to Kara's house.

"Well, I'm practically done here and need to go to the DEO. It's almost patrol time."

"Alright."

"Oh, did you sign NDAs?"

"Yea, let me go get them." Lena gets up to go to her office and grab the pile of documents to give Kara. In the meanwhile Kara sharpens her hearing until she finds Eddie's heartbeat, slower than usual, his breathing calm and deep. Kara smiles, watching or hearing him sleep was always calming. When Lena hands her the pile of paper, Kara tries to tuck it in her bag as delicately as the excessive amount of paper will allow her.

"Ok. Now I gotta go. Can I come back tonight?"

"Of course." Lena says smiling and wraps her arms around Kara's neck to give her a deep kiss. Kara holds Lena by the hips and she smiles into the kiss and pulls her flush against her body. "Thought you had to go." Lena barely pulls away, just to tease Kara.

"I do." Kara says matter-of-factly and traps Lena's lips with hers again.

"You're gonna be late." Lena tries not to smile. " _And_ you're gonna make _me_ late. I need to pick Kate up."

"Alright then. I'm going." Kara gives her another peck and steps away. "Ok. I'm going." She does the Wonder Woman spin, changing into her Supergirl suit. Lena looks at Kara in complete awe. "Ok. Just one more-" Kara starts, pulling Lena closer, but before she can finish her lips are already pressed against Lena's. _Gosh._ Lena's fingers dig into her waist and when Kara feels her while back hitting a wall and Lena's hands spreading over her abdomen, Kara feels a warm stream shooting through her an pooling in her ventre. Her eyes shoot open as Lena body weighs against hers. "I-" Kara pulls away to breathe and Lena starts leaving gentle kisses across her neck. "I-" Kara shuts her eyes tight trying to ignore the aching between her legs.

"Really have to go?" Lena completes for her. Kara nods opening her eyes again to see Lena's bright green ones looking up at her adoringly.

"Yes." Kara breathes out.

"Well, I shall delay you no further." Lena says as she steps back giving Kara enough room to breathe and move away.

"Um, alright. I'll see you tonight then." Kara gives a flustered smile. Lena waves and Kara speeds off through the living room window. Lena is turning back to finish her tea before she goes get ready.

"You have a pool?!" Comes Kara shocked voice out of nowhere making Lena almost drop her cup when she jumps back, turning to the window Kara had just left from.

"Um, yes. How haven't you noticed? You've flown here a million times."

"Yea but always from your room's side, not the living room." Lena chuckles. "I feel betrayed, how could you not tell me? We could've been using it for this whole time."

"Well, now you know and we can use it. To be honest, I haven't used in a while… too busy."

"That's gonna change now."

"I'm 100% positive you are definitely late right now."

"I- Yes. I just- I'll see you tonight."

"Of course darling." And this time Kara flies off and actually goes to the DEO this time while Lena manages to finish her tea without being scared out of her skin.

There's a heavily armed man walking towards L Corp. Once he's right in front of the building, he pulls the bazooka in his hands up to his shoulder; just as it's settling on his shoulder, there's a blue blur and Kara appears before him on a knee, rising to her feet.

"I don't think so, dude." Kara says and speeds to him, sticking her fist in the bazooka just as the dude pulls the trigger. The force of the explosion throws the shooter off to the floor, the heat burns part of his scalp and ear. Kara throws the bazooka's carcass off to the side and goes to the man. "I've got a new one." Kara informs the DEO as she walks over; within the minute there are cars arriving at the scene and Kara is quick to hand him over to the authorities before flying off to the DEO. "Hey!" Kara practically skips to her sister.

"Someone's in a good mood."

"Is there any reason I shouldn't be?"

"Nope."

"Good. Guess what Lena's doing right now."

"Daydreaming about you?"

"Um… no?" Kara almost blushes, "she's picking Kate up at the airport." Alex's eyebrows shoot up.

"Right… great, means she'll drop by soon enough and I can be over it once and for all."

"Weren't you _already_ over it."

"What? Of course. I'm just. I'll just feel better without having her stuff in the house. Apart from that I'm all good."

"Alright. Then it won't be a problem for Kate to come to the bar right?"

"What?! Why?"

"Because I'd like her to go?"

"Why?"

"Cause she's Lena's friend and mine too. I like her; she's fun." Alex sighs, looking down to press the heel of her hands against her eyes, and grunts. "Unless, of course, you have a problem with it."

"No," Alex looks back up, "no problem at all." Kara smiles victoriously.

Later that night, Supergirl lands quietly on Lena's balcony. Lena's not in her room. _Huh, looks like I'll have to pry her from her work._ Kara thinks to herself with endearment as she walks out of the bedroom. Then she hears laughter from the living room, being drawn to it. Two set of voices. She comes to halt, but all too late, her presence has been noted even if not seen.

"Now, now, Kara. Haven't they told you it's rude to enter someone's house without knocking?" She hears Kate's voice and her heart fires up. There's no way out of this one. Kate knows Kara wasn't here before and she also knows the only thing that way is a balcony. Kara starts stuttering when she sees Lena and feels her holding her hand and guiding her forward. Kate is leaning against the dinning table with a sympathetic smile. Kara's eyes fly from red to black. And then…

"Did you-" Kara isn't able to finish her question as her eyes well up, looking at Lena.

"No, no nono. I didn't tell her." Lena wraps her arms around Kara's neck, pulling her down to hug her. "I'd never. You know that." She leaves a kiss on Kara's cheek. Kara nods against Lena's neck, sniffing. She pulls away, straightening up and clearing her throat.

"Sorry. It's just…" she looks at Kate, "how do you know?" Kate walks over.

"Ya see… I have _resources_ and being the red angel of the night gives you lots of connections. Plus, y'know, I'm not an idiot. I just had to connect the dots."

"No way… you're-"

"Batwoman." The finish together.

"That makes a lot more sense! Gosh, if I'd known!"

"Same, dude, same." Kara pulls Kate into tight hug, to the latter's surprise. "Sorry for being an ass. I don't actually think you're stupidly self righteous." Kate says once they pull away.

"I was an ass too. And I don't think you're a creep. I actually think it's really brave, though stupidly dangerous, to save people even without powers." They smile at each other, both identities finally reconciled.

"Gosh, you two are too cute." Lena says smiling at them.

"We're all really cute." Kate says with a wink.

"Gosh, how didn't I recognise that smirk?!"

"You'll see what you wanna see, cutie." Kate sighs tiredly. "Well, I'll leave you be. I'm exhausted and need to crash asap."

"Alright." Lena hugs Kate, wishing her goodnight and Kara waves before Kate retreats to the guest room. Lena turns to Kara with barely contained glee.  
"Oh my god! You finally know! I'm so happy." She wraps Kara in a tight hug. "I'm so glad. Now we get to be 100% open with each other. I don't need to make things up when talking to her about you or vice-versa. Now I get to-" and then Lena catches herself, wide-eyed. She takes a step back, clearing her throat and trying to assume a neutral expression.

"What?"

"Nothing, let's get you into some comfy clothes." Lena says and drags Kara to her room. Kara's wearing a borrowed shirt and sweatpants as usual. They lie down facing each other and stay quiet like that for a few moments; Kara scoots closer and holds both of Lena's hands in her own. Lena meets her eyes with a questioning look.

"What was that about?" Kara finally asks.

"What?"

"Back there, you got really happy and then you stopped yourself like you're embarrassed or just got caught saying something you shouldn't." Lena opens her mouth to respond but no sound comes out. "I don't want you to feel like that around me. Lena… you can tell me _anything_. You _know_ that." Lena bites her lip and closes her eyes for a second.

"I… it's just… I feel like, with Kate here, and you… We knowing about each other's realities. It makes me feel like, maybe, we could kinda be a family, y'know? I've never had so many people who actually cared about me under the same roof since, since Lionel died. And… well, you know what kind of family I have. I just got that hope for a second… but it's nothing. Just me being silly again… probably getting ahead of myself." Kara smiles at her sweetly, before wrapping her arms around Lena to bring her closer, tucking Lena under her chin.

"Not silly, Lena. You just want people that you care about to get along so you can have your own family. And, you know, everyone's waiting for you to be part of more game nights… part of the family. Even Elisa, who's never met you, is dying to have you there for thanksgiving and Christmas. I know it's scary, but it's worth the risk. Isn't it?"

"Your mum really wants me to be part of your family holidays?"

"Of course, Lena!" Lena's lower lip starts shaking when she hides her face in Kara's neck. "Hey, hey… what is it?" Kara asks when she fills her neck get wet with Lena's tears. "You okay?" Lena nods and Kara waits.

"Yea… it's… you're worth it." Lena says against Kara neck and her hold on Kara tightens. Kara gives her a little squeeze, rubbing her back.

"Don't worry, Lena… I'm not going anywhere…"


	12. One Last Night

Lena is walking to L Corp with Kate at her side, when Kate holds her arm and stops. Lena does as asked and turns to Kate.

"What is it?"

"I gotta take care of some stuff. So go ahead without me." Kate says and starts looking out for a cab.

"Take care of what?"

"I forgot something at yer place and I need to go see Alex to get my tights back." Lena tries not to smirk.

"So… you taking the day off?"

"What? Nah. I should be back for lunch."

"Lunch? That's quite a while for you to _just_ get your tights." Kate turns smug, not even trying to fight it.

"Well… I'm not saying anything is gonna happen… But it probably will. _So_ , I rather come earlier than you expected than be late."

"Alright then." Lena says and gives up waiting for Kate to get a taxi. " HEY! TAXI!" Lena yells, startling the shit outta Kate, as she waves her arm and practically steps in front of a cab. The cab stops, screeching.

"What the fuck, Lena?" Kate whispers as Lena pulls her to the cab.

"Learned that with you friend Harley in New York. Very effective."

"Fer a psycho with zero self-preservation instincts."

"You can't call me that. No one has diagnosed me, yet." Kate rolls her eyes and gets in the cab.

"See ya later, baby."

"Have fun." Lena says and winks suggestively before closing the cab's door and walking away.

Kate stops in front of Alex's door, trying not replay the last time she was in front of that door inside her head. Kate lets a puff of air out and knocks on the door thrice. Alex doesn't take long to open her door. She got a call from Kate a few minutes before. Alex opens the door, almost scared and finds Kate standing there, her red hair loose and wilder than she grew used to, looking at her from under her lashes with a very discreet blush over her cheekbones. Alex opens her mouth to say something but nothing comes out so she just closes her mouth again. Kate starts leaning in to leave a kiss on Alex's cheek, but before it's too obvious, she decides it's better not.

"Hi." Kate says softly with a short wave as she gives Alex a small smile. Alex curses herself as her heartbeat almost deaffens her.

"Uh… hey, come in." Alex says stepping back to give Kate space to walk in.

"I came for-"

"They're over there." Alex interrupts Kate before she has any tights related flashbacks. "Maggie's drawer." It comes out before Alex can stop herself.

"Maggie? Who's that?"

"Uh…" _Shit._ "My ex…"

"Oh… Sorry. Shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's fine. I just haven't found an use for it yet. Got used to not using it."

"So you were together for a while?" Kate can't help but to let curiosity get the best of her. Alex nods. "What happened?"

"She wanted to move to Gotham, work as a detective for GCPD and she was trying to get her daughter back from her abusive ex. I supported all of it, but my life is here. I'm not ready to leave. So she thought it'd be best to break things off."

"I see." _Wait, is she talking about Sawyer? Shit. Mental note: never mentioned I dated Mags._ "Gotham _is_ a long way from here. And bringing a child into yer life is no small responsibility. Especially when you're involved with superheroes."

"Yea… I know I want to be a mother someday, but I don't think I'm ready just yet." Kate hums in understanding and suddenly is left with nothing to to do and stalling becomes harder. She drums the bureau with her fingers. And with every drumming of her fingers, Alex's heart thumps harder inside her chest. She's waiting for the relief to come. She'll no longer have anything holding Kate to her, which is good, right? She can finally move on, and that's good, right? _Right?_ _ **Right?!**_ But the relief never comes. Only the cold grip of what tastes too much like despair for Alex's liking, started lapping at her insides. Kate sighs as she folds her tights nicely and shoves them inside her bag. Maybe Alex didn't like her as much as she thought… Kate clears her throat and swallows.

"Well… I'm gonna go now."

"Okay."

Kate walks past Alex quickly, her head up, face blank, no eye contact. _She's leaving_. More than a thought, Alex feels it. Before Kate is fully out of the room a warm hand holds her cold wrist, firmly enough to stop her, but gently enough that if she wanted to leave, it'd be more than easy to.

"Kate…" Alex calls her in a plea, gently tugging her closer. Kate seems unmovable like only a classical sculpture could be, but in a beat Alex becomes breathless with Kate's hot breath against her skin. Alex opens her mouth to speak. "I…" Alex tries to find an excuse to why she stopped Kate from leaving but there was nothing… holding Kate close didn't come from a thought, but from instinct.

"Wanna turn a one-time-thing inta more-than-one-time-thing?" Kate finishes for Alex in a low voice. Alex breathes out a whispered _yes_ , and that's all Kate needs for the ice to melt off her skin. Kate Drops her bag; she pushes Alex back and against the bureau, swiftly pulling her up so she's seated on it. "We shouldn't do this." Kate says before wrapping a hand behind Alex's neck to pull her into a deep kiss as her other hand slides up Alex's thigh and then up and under her shirt. Alex, heart still off balance, mind in short circuit, only manages to tangle her fingers in Kate's red mane and pull her closer against her.

Winn is designing a new suit and Mon-El watched him but not from too close. He wanted to learn about the whole designing suits thing, maybe he could be good with ideas, right? Maybe he could help with something other than getting alien alcoholic drinks and punching bad guys. But Winn is barely blinking, and Mon-El is fixated. He watches as Winn presses his lips tight together as he draws a particularly annoying part of his design and then he releases the pressure on his lips and licks them. Mon-El automatically licks his own lips when Winn does and that snaps him out of his thoughts. He looks up and his eyes lock on J'onn and Mon-El knows he knows and abruptly stands up, startling Winn.

"Something happened?" Winn asks.

"No, nothing." Mon says still looking at J'onn.

"You sure?" Winn asks still finding Mon's attitude a bit off.

"Yea, I'm just gonna go train." Mon says finally looking away from J'onn but never looking at Winn and rushes out of the room.

Kate pulls Alex's hair as she grinds down against her mouth.

" _Fuck_." Kate groans and looks down at the woman under her, grasping her hair tighter and she can see it in her eyes that Alex would be smirking if her mouth wasn't too busy. "Alex-" she throws her head back, a loud moan drowning whatever words were trapped in her mouth, her hair draping in a red cascade. Her whole body trembles and she falls back on top of Alex. Kate takes a deep breath and lets herself slide off Alex. They both lay there trying to catch their breaths; Kate's hips still bucking in the aftershock of her high. Alex smiles and shifts to leave a kiss on the side of Kate's knee before she crawls over to lay next to her. "Well, Danvers, seems like you've been practicing in my absence." And Alex feels her face growing hotter than it already is.

"I- um, actually, I haven't… _practiced_ since you left." Kate smirks and Alex can't tell what she sees in Kate's eyes: amusement? Pity? For a moment Alex thinks it might be relief, but she is quick to knock that thought away… it just seemed too surreal.

"Well, that's just unfair." Kate says sliding her hand up Alex's thigh till she can dig her fingers into her hips. "Am I to assume you're a quick learner? Cus ya didn't know how to do _that_ thing before." Kate says and pushes Alex, following the movement to land on top of her. As soon as she has Alex under her again, her hands return to their roaming.

Alex turns rather smug, "Well, I'm quite- ooh" but loses her words as Kate's fingers slide up from her entrance to her clit and stay there, increasing pressure.

"Please, continue. I am oh so very interested in knowing what kind of learner you are." Kate says actually sounding interested. Once Alex nods in understanding she starts tracing Alex's clavicle with kisses.

"Um, I- I- I think- that I learn best when-" Alex throws her head back letting out a loud groan, her hand flying to dig her fingers into Kate's hair when the latter buries her teeth hard into Alex's neck and starts rubbing faster circles on her clit.

Kate releases the skin trapped between her teeth and stops her hand, "ye learn best when…" she prompts, waiting to see if Alex would try to continue or not.

"Oh god. Will you shut up and fuck me already?" Alex lets out, breathless and clearly frustrated. Kate cackles. "Honestly, you're jus- _oh,_ nnnn" Alex starts but before she can utter another word of complaint, Kate has a nipple trapped between her teeth as her fingers impatiently slide down and into Alex's body.

Mon-El is punching a block of concrete repeatedly. Not with anger but clearly with frustration. And then he hears someone approaching from behind him, he finishes his set of punches and stops, wiping his hands on his pants and goes to the weight section without looking at his new company.

"Mon-El?" J'onn calls for his attention.

"Yes?" Mon answers but still doesn't turn to J'onn and starts assembling his weights.

"We need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Like hell there isn't. Drop those and come talk to me _right_ _ **now**_." Mon-El's nostrils flare in anger but he takes a deep breath, turns and marches to J'onn after dropping the weights.

"What is it, sir?"

"I need you to deal with the confusion of your feelings for Winn." And Mon makes J'onn the favor of not looking surprised. Thing is, since the kiss Mon-El's been feeling like he had feelings for Winn the whole time and only noticed after the kiss, but maybe it isn't, maybe it's the wanting to have a deeper bond with someone he actually cares about that's making him feel like maybe he _might_ have feelings for Winn.

"I'm dealing with it."

"By pining over the boy and repressing your feelings? Honestly I need to get all of us a therapist and stop doing the job myself."

"I don't need… _that_. I'm fine."

"Why won't you talk to him?"

"I promised to _help_ him, J'onn. He trusts me. He trusts I'll be there for him when he's confused, unsure, insecure… and I will. But I will not take advantage that he's open to me and more vulnerable to force my, possibly unexistent, feelings on him."

"What if he reciprocates your feelings?"

"He doesn't. And I won't make him confuse gratitude for attraction."

"What's going on here?" They both turn to find Winn staring at them. Mon-El glares at J'onn. J'onn glares back but in a more fatherly manner.

"Nothing. Everything is _fine_." Mon-El says and storms off leaving Winn worried and confused and J'onn massaging his temples as he grunts.

Kara taps on her work desk as she looks at her contact list. She finally taps on the contact she needed to call and brings the phone up to her ear.

Kate kisses the inside of Alex's thigh once the latter seems to recover from her orgasm, but Alex doesn't react.

"Alex?" But the latter doesn't even grunt in response. Kate kisses Alex's other thigh. "Alex?" Nothing… Kate raises an eyebrow _Ok then, tiger. If that's how you wanna play._ Kate blows softly on her pussy. She can feel Alex's muscles tensing ever so slightly but still, not quite what Kate was looking for, and she's pretty sure she did a good job eating Alex out. Kate lets the tip of her finger rub softly against Alex's still swollen clit, and a grunt comes from Alex as she grasps at her blankets. Kate smirks, but after that resistance, she needs a bit more. She touches Alex's clit with the tip of her tongue. Alex throws her head back as current runs through her, making her body tremble.

"Kate…" Kate smiles and seals Alex between her lips and sucks her clit. " _Oh god._ " Alex moans Kate's name loudly, her hands immediately fly to pull Kate's hair as her hips buck desperately against Kate's mouth.

"Kara is calling me." Clark tells Lois.

"Oh, must be something big. She never calls."

"We'll see."

"Hey, Kal!"

"Kara, so good to hear from you! John was asking me last night when you'd come to visit us again."

"Oh, soon, I hope! And you can always come visit us instead."

"That is true. So, what's up?"

"Nothing…" Clark waits and raises his eyebrows at Lois and shrugs, Lois rolls her eyes. "Well, actually, I wanted to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"I'm dating."

"Oh, cool! Who's the lucky one?" Kal asks excitedly, smiling at Lois.

"Uh, um, it's Lena Luthor."

"Le-Lena? Lex's little sister?" Lois' eyes go wide as she covers her mouth in a fake attempt to hide her amusement.

"Yes."

"Oh… cool! I'm glad you two found each other. That's awesome. She's a genius."

"Yea, she's pretty amazing." Kara gets all sheepish.

"And I mean it. I've seen her work, I'm glad there's still a good Luthor left in the world."

"Yea…" Kara responds unsure if she should discuss it with Kal since it's such a sensitive topic for Lena herself.

"Clark, honey, ask her how serious they've gotten." Clark frowns but does as asked.

"And you guys serious? You've been together for a while now?"

"I mean, we haven't been together _together_ for long, but I'm very serious about her and I think she's pretty serious about me too."

"Oh, Clark, that's not what I meant. By "how serious" I meant how far they've gone, y'know?" Lois raises an eyebrow, smirking suggestively as she discreetly slides a hand up Clark's thigh.

"OH!" Clark clears his throat and delicately moves Lois' hand away. "We're working Lois." He whispers.

"Kal? Is everything ok?"

"Ye-yes. Just… I'm gonna visit you in a few hours, alright? I think it's better if we talk about this in person."

"Oh… okay. You're not upset or angry-"

"No, Kara. I'm not. It's about something else. Related to you having a relationship but it's nothing bad. It's not a problem. Just something that should be discussed."

"Alright then. I'll see you later."

"Bye!"

"Bye!" Kara hangs up feeling relieved.

"You're impossible." Clark glares at Lois.

"And you love every moment of it." He smiles at her as she turns around to continue working, some wrinkles starting to run deep on her skin, even some new ones, as secret storytellers of their lives… yea, he loved every moment of it.

Kara was having a bit of a lazy day, but she's sure it'll be okay to show up one day at Lena's office wearing a red and blue flannel over a white tank top, jeans and converse shoes. Kara flies over to L Corp, landing discreetly on Lena's balcony. Kara sees Lena sitting at her desk, reading a contract, her hair draped over one shoulder and her green eyes running over the words on the paper before her. Kara smiles before delicately knocking on the glass door and walking in quietly. It takes a moment or two, but Lena looks up to see Kara walking in.

"Hey, babe." Lena greets her.

"Hey." Kara walks over to her and leans down, cupping one of Lena's cheek, to kiss her. Lena hums into the kiss and pulls Kara closer to deepen it. But Kara is rather antsy when it comes to being physically close to Lena, the frustration in the pit of her stomach is growing hard to ignore, no matter what she does to relieve the ache. Since Lena asked to take it slow Kara's been doing her best, but Lena really doesn't help with her roaming hands and restless mouth, so Kara pulls back before Lena manages to pull her closer. "How's your day going?"

"Good. Busy, but good."

"I expected to find Kate with you."

"No. She went to see Alex this morning before lunch."

"Oh, really?" Kara leans against Lena's desk. "She hasn't been back since?"

"She has. She got back for lunch, almost 15 minutes late, but she made it." Lena says with a smug.

"You think they-"

"Oh, definitely." Lena gets up and walks over to serve herself a cup of whisky. "You want some?"

"No. I honestly don't know how you and Alex enjoy that. It's too strong." Kara responds as she walks closer to Lena.

"You like something softer in taste, like Baileys?"

"Yea, I like that."

"Alright. I'll keep a bottle around in case you want some." Lena says as she sips her whiskey.

"You know it can't get me drunk, right?"

"Are you suggesting I'd only keep it around to get you drunk?" Lena says teasing, "why would I want that when I can just get _myself_ drunk?" Kara chuckles and raises her hand to tuck Lena's hair behind her ear. Kara lets her fingers run through Lena's hair till she reaches Lena's jaw and gently traces it with her thumb; her eyes follow her own movements almost in a trance. Lena takes a deep breath in just before Kara's thumb stops on her chin and Kara's eyes fixate on her lips. Kara moves her thumb delicately, the slight pressure makes Lena's mouth open as her jaw slacks. Kara's eyes grow dark and she looks up to find Lena staring at her expectantly. Kara lets go of Lena. Lena lets the air she was holding out and takes a longer sip of whisky this time.

"Well, maybe you'll get to see me drunk one of these days." Kara says smiling, but the tension of the moment still weighs on both of them. Lena tries to think of something to say but the only thing in her mind is how Kara looked like she wanted to eat her up, as her eyes traced Lena's lips. Lena sets her cup aside and bites her lip, suddenly looking almost shy as she starts fidgeting. Kara takes a step forward and takes Lena's hands. "What is it?" Lena looks down at their hands and then Kara is holding her chin to tilt her face up till Kara can meet Lena's eyes. She leans in wrapping an arm around Lena's waist to pull her closer and kisses her. Lena sighs into the kiss and wraps her arms around Kara's shoulders. Kara keeps the kiss soft and calm, but then Lena's nails are dragging up the back of her neck and onto her scalp to tangle her fingers in Kara's hair. Kara feels a groan growing in her throat but pushes it down. Lena sucks Kara's lips in between her teeth. As soon as Lena releases Kara, the latter returns the favor but keeps Lena longer to bite her lower lip and trace it with her tongue, once… and again… and Lena lets out a low moan that feeds the fire inside Kara as Lena opens her mouth. Kara slowly slides her tongue inside Lena's mouth, but once she sees there's no resistance she stops being too careful.

The faint bitterness of whisky in Lena's tongue fills her. The kiss grows deeper but Lena is still restless and that only entices Kara. Kara presses herself against Lena, pinning her against the shelf, her fingers dig into Lena's hips and the latter pulls away breathless. She throws her head back, leaving her neck open for Kara to map with hungry kisses. Kara nibbles Lena's neck trying her best to not bite too hard. Lena feels that wet warmth growing in her and her legs give, letting Kara's leg slide between hers. Kara grinds her thigh against Lena, who moans into Kara's mouth. She rocks her hips to keep grinding against Lena, one arm wrapped Lena's waist to keep her in place and her other hand grabbing onto any and everything her hand could reach of Lena's body. Lena grabs onto Kara's shoulder harder, struggling with the ache between her legs, and finds herself almost sitting on her shelf once she starts following Kara's movements with her own hips. Lena's breathing becomes quicker with every stroke and it's becoming harder not to moan loudly. Kara buries her face on Lena's hair, relishing in the sounds of Lena's raspy moaning against her ear.

"Kara…" Lena lets out in a rather loud moan, igniting something primal in her lover. Kara pulls Lena even closer, if that possible at all, and slides her hand up to cup Lena's breast and slide her thumb over her nipple in a torturously slow pace. "Oh god" Lena grinds against Kara with wanton but it just not quite _enough._ She places one of her hands on the now warm surface of her shelf to sit on it in a way that could increase the friction of Kara's thigh against her. The ice in the whisky had almost all melted away, the condensation making the surface around it wet, almost as much as those frustrated lovebirds. As Lena tries to move, her hand lands on the wet surface next to the cup making her slide and push the cup off the shelf. _CLACK_.

Kara almost flies away from Lena, all nerves and instincts on fire; she instantly goes into fight mode, then notices that part of the shelf, where she had a knee pressed to support her weight, had a dent on it perfectly fitting her knee. Lena definitely was startled but once they notice there's no danger she's only preoccupied with the desperate ache between her legs that basically screams _but we were so close!_ There's a knock on the door and Lena is quick to at least straighten her skirt if not her hair before Jess opens the door. Jess eyes Kara and frowns.

"I heard something breaking. Is everything alright, Ms. Luthor?" Jess asks as she watches Kara fix her ponytail. Lena clears her throat.

"Yes, Jess. I just accidentally broke a glass."

"Alright. I'll call maintenance to clean that up."

"Thank you." Jess walks out. Lena looks at Kara who's looking awfully tight and flustered. "Kara…"

"I think I should go… before I- we break anything else." Lena frowns.

"You didn't break anything." Kara points at the dent and Lena's eyes go wide. "Oh wow."

"Sorry."

"It's fine. I can get that fixed easily." Lena says as she runs her fingers through her hair. Kara walks over sliding her hand behind Lena's neck to give her short but deep kiss. Kara pulls away but stays close.

"Talk to you later?" Lena nods and hums in agreement and Kara pulls away and walks out of the office.

"When did you come in?" Jess asks as soon as Kara closes Lena's door.

"Uh, a few minutes ago I think." Kara tries to relax but her whole body feels strung up.

"I didn't see you coming in at all." Kara knows this is only for Lena's safety. They can't have blind spots in this company, but Kara is not in the mood, she's frustrated and anxious.

"Funny, I didn't see you either." And Kara walks off not waiting or caring enough to see how Jess would react. Jess follows Kara with her eyes, baffled. She had never seen Kara like that, not even in bad days. Once maintenance has finished cleaning everything up and removing the shelf's piece that needs fixing Lena sighs in relief serving herself another cup of whisky and downing it. She leaves her mouth open to feel out the burning sensation in her mouth after swallowing her drink, but still the ache was hard to ignore and she can feel how wet she still is. She looks at her desk, _too visible_. She looks at her couch, comfortable, further from the office's door and balcony, a darker environment… _that'll do_.

Kara flies straight home and what was welling up inside her just felt really similar to anger. Sure she slipped, she wasn't supposed to push Lena, which she definitely didn't, Lena seemed very eager, but grinding her against a shelf till she's panting and moaning Kara's name, so close to the edge, isn't Kara's definition of "taking it slow". And now she didn't only slip on that end, but is also feeling like a loaded gun. She flies through her open window and lands on her living room with a huff. _Water, drinking water calms people down right?_ So she grabs a cup of water and sits on her usual chair at the dining table desperately trying to shove aside the feeling of Lena grinding wetly against her thigh, her nails scratching her skin, her own teeth leaving accidental marks on Lena's pale skin, her voice deep and warm, moaning her name in a gasp like a desperate cry at night. Kara presses her legs together and shifts as if to help it, but then her jeans rub against her and it's all that takes for Kara to chug the rest of the water. Best way to take care of a loaded gun is by unloading it.

Lena wishes she was home; she doesn't have time to go to her suite and she doesn't like to do this clothed, but it'll have to do. Lena lays back on her couch, slides one hand under her bra to pinch her nipple, while the other finds her way under skirt and underwear. Her fingers press against her entrance getting coated in Lena's wetness easily. Lena drags her fingers back up till they reach her clit, she starts drawing circles as she remembers Kara tracing her jaw with her thumb and looking at her like she was a snack. Lena stifles a moan feeling the tension inside her tightening rather desperately. Lena remembers Kara's fingers digging into her, _nnnnnnh_. Her hips bucking and her mouth hungry, but careful and contained, like if fire could be tamed in a glass box. Lena gasps. She knows it won't take much, so she slides her fingers down and easily pushes them inside herself, _mmmm_ , Lena bites her lower lip trying to keep it all in, with every stroke she keeps remembering Kara's touch, keeping her close, the teasing, the nibbling, _oh god._ How easily she fit against her and how carefully eager she was keeping Lena close, desperate to hear her gasp her name in shuddering waves of pleasure. _Kara..._ And that was with them fully dressed, no hands under clothes. So she wonders what it'd be like to be fucked by Kara, who kisses her like she wants to delicately tear her apart. _Oh!_ Lena shakes, thighs tightening around her hand as her hips keep on bucking, raised in the air and her mouth open in a silent scream calling for Kara. Once she's able to think again, Lena pulls her finger out in a whimper and brings them to her mouth and sucks them clean. She gets up and checks the couch to see if there's any mess, and is almost relieved to notice there isn't.

She goes to her desk and just as she's looking for her hand sanitizer Kate walks in. Lena is startled by the delicate knock on her door and suddenly feels like she did something wrong till she sees that flaming cascade dripping over a pale shoulder. Kate walks in managing to look more casual than Kara on her crop top, jeans and combat boots and Lena is relieved it's just her. _Thank god we don't have any meetings with her looking like_ that.

"Hello, Kate." Lena's voice comes out raspy and low, making Kate rise an eyebrow.

"Hey ba-" Kate starts but once she gets closer to the middle of the room she stop on her tracks. "Was Kara here recently?"

"Yea, why?"

"Your office smells like sex. You should febreze it." Lena immediately blushes. "It's alright, baby. I know you were trying to take it slow but it's okay if you're too hungry for that. And we both know you have a thing for being fucked in work or study environment. Plus, Kara's hot." Kate says as she serves herself and Lena some whiskey and leans against the shelf, right where Kara had Lena pinned. Lena's blush spreads to her ears and neck, giving away what she thought about Kate's words. Lena starts feeling really warm and takes the drink Kate offers her.

"I- We… we didn't."

"You didn't? Then…"

"She had me pinned against a wall while we were making out," Kate didn't need to know she was casually leaning on _that_ spot 'cause that had the potential to stir up _a lot_ of trouble, "grinding on her thigh." Kate has her mouth open in a rather licentious smile. She starts but Lena interrupts her. "No, I didn't cum. Honestly, I've been so strung up, despite it being my decision to take it slow, I probably would've. But… Jess came in."

"Oh damn. And I can see Kara found out you like it a little rough."

"What do you mean?"

"Your neck has a few bites marks." Lena's eyes go wide. "Don't worry. I'll help you hide it."

Kate has Lena against the shelf as she fixes the latter's makeup.

"So… Kara's visit must've gotten you real worked up." Lena lets out a puff of air.

"Yea, it did."

"You don't seem that tense, though. You have a few tells when you're craving it." Lena blushes. After everything they've been through Lena expected to not get flustered around Kate anymore, especially in that subject, but no matter how much they knew each other it still happens.

"Um…" Kate stops what she's doing to look Lena in the eyes, but the brunette is looking away.

"Did- did you masturbate _here_ in your _office_? When you have a private suite just a few floors up?" And Lena feels her ears growing warm again. "Huh," Kate finishes up and puts the makeup aside, a wolfish grin taking over her features. She softly runs her fingers through Lena's hair, tucking it behind her reddened ear. "Now I'm wishing I had gotten here a few minutes early to watch the show." Lena opens her mouth shocked, but in that way that it's clear that it didn't really surprise her that Kate said that.

"Kate!" Lena tries to act nonchalant, but Kate's giving her _that_ smile and _that_ look, which she had almost forgotten, but apparently it still strikes her.

"Maybe, I could've even been a guest star in what must've been a spectacle." Kate says leaning in. Lena opens her mouth looking for a response, eyes flying between Kate's eyes, but she only mumbles. Kate chuckles and steps back. "You can't stop being cute, can you? Anyways, I finished up those contracts and sent them to your tablet so you can review everything and make sure I haven't been a bad girl." Lena clears her throat adjusting her suit once she hears that. "Maybe next time I'll sneak in something more entertaining."

"C'mon Kate!"

"Just in the comment sections. And it'll go directly to your tablet only. Think about it. Negotiations will be a lot more fun to review." Kate says taking a sip of her whiskey. Lena's eyes roam over her, taking in the untamed wavy red hair, the dark top contrasting against the pale skin of her tone abs, the ripped jeans and combat boots…

"And your outfit choice sure is helping." Lena mumbles with sarcasm as she opens her phone's camera to see Kate's touch up, and really there are no marks to be seen now.

"I'm sorry, is this distracting you, Ms Luthor?" Kate says jokingly posing and Lena glares. "I knew I wouldn't have any meetings and the weather is fine. I wanted to enjoy some of it."

"And make it easier to get laid when you went to get your tights from Alex." Kate brings a hand up to her chest, pretending to be offended.

"How dare you?!" She drops the act. "Now, seriously, I love the suits and all, but I wanted to be more… me. I haven't had a break this whole month. Every night in that suit. And it's amazing and I know why I go out every night to fight clowns, sometimes literally, but I need to be just me some nights."

"Don't worry," Lena walks over to Kate. She wraps her arms around Kate's shoulders, "tonight you'll be." Kate hugs her back, wrapping her waist.

"We'll see…" Kate answers and buries her face on Lena's neck. The hole in her chest aching, threatening to eat at her again.

Kara is catching her breath, body growing limp as she pants against her pillow, when she hears a knock on her door. She grunts and pulls her hand out of her jeans before rolling onto her back and getting up. The knock persists.

"Coming!" Kara shouts loud enough and then chuckles. "No pun intended." She says to herself. She washes her hands and opens her door to find Clark.

"Kal!"

"Hey!" He smiles and takes a step forward to hug her.

"Come in," Kara says taking a step back.

" _Can we switch to Kryptonian?_ "

" _Of course!_ " Kara excitedly starts talking in her native language. Kal beams as he walks in.

" _I tried calling you, but you didn't answer your phone._ " Kara closes the door.

" _I… I was busy, didn't hear my phone._ " Kal hums in understanding. " _So, what's up?_ " Kara asks as she walks over to her couch and Clark waits till they're sitting to talk.

" _I just wanted to clear some things up with you, in case you haven't figured it yourself._ " Kara scoffs, looking at him like ' _You do know I'm a genius, right?'_ " _I know, I know._ " He says as if her read her mind. " _I'm just making sure._ " He explains.

" _Alright, then._ " Kara smiles at him.

" _How are things between you and Lena?_ " Kal asks to start off the talk. Kara smiles and tucks her hair behind her ear, her cheeks flushing as a moment of their last encounter flashes through her mind.

" _Um… we're great. Everything is. .. pretty good between us._ "

" _That's awesome! I'm glad._ " Kal beams. " _It's good that you guys are close._ " Kara smiles and watches Kal as he looks down at his lap; as he nervously rubs his hands together. " _Okay._ " Kal says more to himself than anyone else. " _How_ _ **close**_ _have you gotten?_ "

" _Well… she knows I'm Supergirl._ " Kara giggles nervously when Kal's eyebrows shoot up.

" _That makes it much easier, doesn't it?_ "

" _It does._ "

" _But that's not what I meant…_ " Kara frowns. " _I meant like, how far have you two gone… physically… with each other?_ " when Kal finishes Kara's ears are already fuming.

" _I- I- I- I- uh pfff we, um, like, we just, uh, um-_ "

" _So, pretty close but haven't… yet?"_ By Kara's look, Kal assumes they haven't. " _Thank god. I mean, because it means I'm not that late for_ _ **The Talk**_."

" _Oh Rao,_ _ **that's**_ _why you're here?! I don't need The Talk, Kal! My parents already did that. And you're not my father, Kal!_ " Kara stops sharp just as she hears herself. Kal watches Kara carefully as the latter has her eyes flicker everywhere except to Kal, as she always does when something hits her right _there_. " _I… I'm sorry. I didn't-_ "

" _I know Kara. It's alright._ " He gives her a small smile that more than reached his eyes; it was the smile that managed to calm Kara. This was _Kal_ 's smile… and maybe what she needed right now was _family_. " _Can we talk about this?_ " Kara nods. " _Alright, have you ever…_ " Kara nods a shy smirk pulling at her lips. " _With a human?_ "

" _Oh… no. Never that far with a human._ "

" _Because you're afraid to hurt them?_ " Kara nods. Kal smiles. " _I understand. I had the same fear, and I had a lot longer to get my powers under control than you did. But it's okay. That's why I wanted to talk about this with you. You can obviously do it, just remember that you need to keep yourself in check. That's the easiest moment to lose control, because instinct says you should give it all and fully give in to it… but we can't do that. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy yourself and, y'know, get_ _**there**_ _. But if you don't find a way of doing that without losing control of your strength, you'll end up breaking Lena. And I doubt killing your lover during sex,_ _or in general really_ _, is what you want._ " Kara snorts.

" _Yea, that's definitely not what I want. How… how did you and Lois figured it out?_ "

" _We took it slow… well, not_ _ **slow**_ _, but testing things here and there, taking one step at a time 'till I felt confident that we could do it without her getting hurt._ " Kara nods, serious.

" _Alright. Thank you, Kal… I usually would tell you not to worry cause I have it handled… but the other time I broke Lena's shelf and didn't even notice it._ " Kal's eyes go wide as he tries not to laugh. " _Yea, I know. I'm a disaster. And that's why I'm thankful for your advice. Couldn't have come at better time._ "

" _I'm here to help. And whenever you wanna talk, feel free to. Or talk to Lois, I'm sure we'd all be more comfortable with that._ "

" _Oh, yea, definitely. I much rather talk to her about it than you. No offense._ "

" _None taken._ " The ghost of laughter remains after their talk. " _Well, since my quest has come to an end, I must return._ "

" _Most kind of you to come to my aid, cousin._ "

" _I'll see you soon._ " Kal says as he follows Kara to the window.

" _See you._ " They hug and Kal flies out the window. Kara sighs happily. It was always nice to have Kal around, especially when they could speak in their native language, it didn't feel like home… it felt like when you're freezing and you walk into a cafe, hold a cup of steamy coffee and take a sip, that warmth that isn't home, but a taste of it.

With that Kara starts thinking of the 'step by step'. What is too much? What could be too little? What steps are the right ones? What would Lena want?

James is at his desk going over some articles when he hears someone walking into his office. He looks up to see Mon-El turning to walk out of James' office, apparently regretting his decision to go there. James is momentarily speechless with the strange view of Mon-El at his workplace.

"M- Mon-El?" James calls him before he's fully out of the office. Mon-El stops abruptly and it takes a moment before he turns around and walks back, towards James. "Is everything alright?" He asks as he watches Mon-El walk closer, scratching the back of his head as he looks at his feet. Mon-El shoves his hands in his jeans pockets as he looks up to James.

"Uh, yea… I'm alright. I shouldn't have- I'm just gonna go." He says starting to turn again.

"Hey!" James calls him as he rounds the table. "You're already here dude. Just spit it out. If you came to _me._ I doubt it's just nothing for you."

"I- yea, I just want to make sure you're going tomorrow. You've missed a few saturdays at the dive." James raises his eyebrows in surprise.

"Oh, uh… Sorry, but since when do you care if I go or don't?"

"I don't. I mean, I do. You're cool. Growing on me." There's a beat in which they just look at each other. "And Winn is going on a date there, Kara's gonna be with Lena and I doubt Kate won't jump Alex's bones." James chuckles.

"True… It wouldn't be nice to be the leftover, though rumor says you have a certain ease to find people to spend the night with." Mon-El stutters for a second.

"It's not like that. I'd just like have someone to talk to while everyone is being all lovey-dovey."

"I get it. Same here. I'll go tomorrow."

"Thanks, dude."

"No problem."

"I'll see you then." James nods smiling in response and waves. He watches Mon-El walk away. "Mon-El," he turns to James when called, "you're growing on me too." And the smile Mon-El gives James before leaving feels a lot more rewarding than expected.

Kara's sitting at the DEO, on her Supergirl uniform, chatting lively with Alex.

"So, how did it go with Kate?"

"What do you mean?"

"She went to get her stuff right?"

"Oh, yea. Of course. That's what happened. She came in, got her stuff, and left." Kara looks at her expectantly. "It was fine!"

"So, nothing happened?"

"Nope."

"She just grabbed her stuff and left?"

"Mhmm."

"No flirting?" Alex shakes her head. "No touchy?" Kara starts getting closer to Alex. Alex shakes her head. "No smooching?" Kara starts tickling Alex.

"Stop! Stop!" Alex tries to escape Kara but can't as the latter keeps on asking Alex what happened. "Okay, okay! Yes, there was-" Kara stops, laughing and Alex panting.

"Of course there was! I'm not an idiot. And yet, you make me resort to torture to get the truth out of you. Also, Lena told me Kate was late for lunch after going to see you." Alex glares, but it isn't effective with that smile pulling at her lips. "So…" Kara wiggles her eyebrows.

"She came for her stuff. And it was fine until she was leaving and I stopped her."

"Oh my god. Did you-"

"I froze, I was a stuttering mess. Didn't know what to do. Gosh it was embarrassing."

"And what happened? Did she leave?" Kara waits as Alex looks at her fidgeting hands.

"No… she pushed me back and kissed me." Kara smiles brightly at Alex. "And then she basically stripped me and carried me to bed… and well, I don't need to tell you how good it was, if she was late for work lunch." Kara covers her mouth as her mouth and eyes open wide.

"Good Rao…"

"Yup…" Alex starts looking rather smug.

"And you said you were over her…"

"We just needed to get it out of our systems. You'll see, tomorrow it'll be fine."

"Yea… sure thing."

And to everyone's surprise Kate and Alex weren't jumping on each other, even after a few drinks. Kara and Lena seem restless about the touching, but also can't seem to decide whether they want to touch each other or not. If you're wondering why, it's because they didn't get the chance to talk about what happened in Lena's office and what they wanna do about it. James sips his beer as he chuckles at Alex's comment about the latest attack against Supergirl that they neutralized before they even needed Kara to help them. Winn had left a few minutes prior to meet with his new lady friend, who everyone was hoping wouldn't turn out to be a villain of some sort. He looks up to see Mon-El sitting down with a pretty looking drink. He raises an eyebrow questioningly.

"Thought you were a beer kinda guy." Mon-El scoffs.

"What? Nah, some are drinkable, but not that good. Plus, it does nothing on the getting drunk side. This though, much stronger and tastier."

"He's right." Kara says. "Beer isn't that great. Human or alien." James looks between both of them.

"Well, if Kara is _agreeing_ with something you said, I'm left with no option other than to believe you."

"Ey, you can believe me even if Kara doesn't agree with me." Mon-El retorts rather exasperated.

"Doubt that'll ever happen, frat-boy." James responds.

"Oh, c'mon. We're past that."

"We'll be past that when I stop seeing you as one." Mon-El lets out a puff of air and takes a big gulp of his drink.

A flowing hour later everyone is at least tipsy and ready to leave. Kara takes Lena's hand and lowers her face to speak against Lena's ear.

"You ready to go, baby?" Lena nods. "My place or yours?"

"Yours." She looks at Kate who seems very comfortable with her drink. "You got the keys with you?"

"Ye, dontcha worry. I'll get home safely."

"You guys taking an uber?"

"Yea." Kara and James answer at the same time.

"Well, we're going to different sides of the city. So I'll take one with Alex. And Mon-El, if he wants to."

"Okay…" Alex says and discreetly looks at Kate, who looks back at her quickly, before anyone can notice. "Sounds good."

"Yea. I'm in." Mon-El says.

"What about you Kate?" Kara asks.

"I'm staying for a little longer. Then I'll go home. Don't worry about it." Kara reminds herself that Kate is a veteran and Batwoman, but it's hard not worry.

"Okay. Send me a text when you get home. Lets go, babe. Ours is already outside." Lena says and pulls Kara outside.

A few minutes later James, Alex and Mon-El are on the way to their homes. A few minutes in silence inside the car with her mind racing about what might happen later is enough to make Alex want to break the silence.

"Y'know… you two have a lot more in common than you think." James scoffs.

"What do you mean?" Mon asks.

"You both went through a character transformation after becoming friends with Kara and Winn. You both fell for Kara to then get with her and then get dumped about 12 hours later. Then you fell for Winn and didn't even get to voice it 'cause that boy is too busy getting his heart broken or making sure we don't die in the field." They both stare at her. "If you want to know how I know about Winn, it's because I am not stupid. And you guys need to get better on your whole acting around your crush and longingly staring at them from a distance."

"Well-"

"I-"

"Shh. Just deal with it." Alex says as the driver stops in front of her building. She leaves her share of the ride on James' lap. "Bye, boys." She closes the door and walks away.

They stare at the door for a few seconds before they both clear their throats and stay in silence and James tucks the money in his wallet..

"She's right." James finally says.

"It's scary."

"Yea."

"Also a bit sad."

"And lonely."

"I didn't know you're into guys…"

"None of your business… we also never really got to know each other." James looks at Mon-El, just as he looks away from James.

"That's true. We can change that, though. I'm sure we could make a good team out in the field." Mon says as he tucks his hands between his thighs as if to warm himself, but really just trying to feel more secure. James stops to look at him, and for a moment he's no longer seeing the arrogant frat-boy. Sure he still looks like one, but James unknowingly gives himself a chance to look at Mon without the annoyance glasses he always seems to be wearing when around Mon. Mon-El looks at him. _Shit… he_ is _cute._ And that makes it seem as if all the numbness of the alcohol's practically gone.

"I think this is your place, James." Mon-El says. James swallows and opens his wallet grabbing the whole value of the drive and gives it to the driver. "James what are you doing? I haven't paid my share yet."

"You don't have to." He grabs Mon-El's hands and pulls Mon out of the car with him.

"James?! What's going on?" Mon-El could easily stop him, but found himself too surprised to do anything. James pulls Mon-El and practically throws him against the wall of his building, pinning him. By then, it's clear to Mon-El what's happening; James stares at him but he's suddenly frozen, like all his confidence was stripped away. He found himself leashed by the fact he never waited and asked if Mon wanted to leave with him. Mon-El frames James' face with his hands and pulls him into a kiss, eliminating any doubts James had.

"Just to be clear, what's this going to be? A one night stand?" Mon-El asks once they pull apart.

"Doesn't have to be _one_ night… But yea basically a one night stand. And we don't tell everyone about it."

"Got it." Mon says and holds James' hips before kissing him again.

Alex is leaning against her dining table as she taps her foot repeatedly, as she has for the past ten minutes and looks at her door repeatedly. There's a soft triple knock on the door and Alex practically jumps from her stance before taking fast strides to her door. She yanks it open and sees Kate standing there like she didn't take twice as long to get there than she should've.

"You took your sweet time, huh?"

"Wasn't that sweet." Kate says placing a hand on Alex's hip to push her back and walk in. Alex looks like she might complain a bit more, so Kate continues before Alex can start. "Are you gonna stand there looking all grumpy, frustrated and fine, or are you going to kiss me?" Alex barely has time to blush and stutter before Kate is wrapping her arms around her shoulders and kissing her deeply. Alex can't help but smile into the kiss, her hands sliding across Kate's body to grab to her ass and pull her closer as the redhead closes the door with a soft back kick.

Mon-El has his head thrown back as one hand grasps aimlessly the wall he's leaning on and the other holds on to James' head.

" _Oh_. James…" Mon feels his body instinctively moving faster against James as he feels that familiar tingling building up. "James, stop." It takes him a moment, but James stops and pulls his mouth away from Mon and looks up at him.

"What is it?"

"Kiss me." James smirks, almost scoffing.

"You asked me to stop blowing you, to kiss you instead?" James says once he's up and kisses Mon-El, pressing his hips against him. Mon-El lets his hands slide under James' shirt, up to tease his nipples and back down to pull his shirt up, interrupting the kiss once James helps him take it off.

"No. Kissing was just an excuse to make you stop." Mon says panting. "I just need you get a condom," James is about to point out Mon is already using one. "and fuck me."

"Oh," James smiles a little smug. "Alright." He goes to his bedside table and starts looking for condoms. Mon-El takes this moment to catch his breath and admire how the dim lighting in James' room shines gold against his skin, highlighting every muscle on his back and arms as he moves. James walks back to him. Mon pulls him closer and they're both rather fidgety with the excessive energy, but as soon as James is done, Mon in kissing him again. He turns around and pulls his pants down just before he can feel James lips on his neck, one hand sliding his shirt up as the other grasps his hips and James careful, but quickly presses himself against Mon, sliding in with more ease than he expected.

"Le- Lena, we need to talk." Kara lets out as Lena leaves gentle kisses on her neck.

"About what?" Lena says, not moving her lips away from Kara's skin.

"About the whole "taking it slow" thing."

"Oh." Lena pushes herself back on the bed, giving herself space so she can look better at Kara. "We're failing royally." They both chuckle.

"Yea… we are." Kara takes a moment to think over what she wants to say. "I had a talk with my cousin and he brought something up that is true and we should take in to consideration." Lena grows a bit tense when she hears about Kal.

"Did you tell him we're _dating_?"

"Yes."

"You told _Superman_ that you're dating Lena _Luthor_? Wha-" Lena stutters, losing her words.

"It's fine. He's cool about it. He actually likes you." Lena just stares at her. "Baby, it's fine. I promise." Kara brings Lena closer and kisses her forehead.

"That's… um… That's nice. I was afraid he wouldn't be. I know how important he is to you."

"Yea… he's my family."

"Now, what is the thing he brought up that we need to take in to consideration?"

"We should take it slow, but not like super slow or anything. Just take our time trying things out because… I need to learn how to control myself when… y'know. So I don't end up hurting you. Or breaking something like I did in your office." At first Lena seems surprised but then this wolfish grin takes over her features and she moves closer to Kara.

"Oh…" Lena bites her lip and starts to slowly run her fingers up Kara's waist, "so, what do you think we should start with?" Kara's cheeks grow red. "I did throw the whole taking it slow thing out the window, if you didn't notice."

"Oh, I noticed. You grinding on me like there's no tomorrow made it really clear." They both chuckle.

"I tried, but…" Lena's eyes drop to Kara's lips. "I just want you so bad. I know I'm ready for any pace you want to set." Kara smiles impishly; she leans in bumping her nose on Lena's, lips almost touching.

"You do know I have superspeed, right?" Lena chuckles leaning in to seal their lips together, but Kara moves away, just the slightest so Lena can't kiss her but is still close enough. Lena raises an eyebrow questioningly.

"I'm a problem solver. I'm sure we'll figure it out." Lena says and leans in again just enough to not reach Kara's lips again. She raises her eyes to look into Kara's eyes and sees a challenge there. She slides her hand up to Kara's arm, holding her and leans in to kiss her; once again she doesn't reach Kara, who has to practically throw her head back to keep on teasing Lena. "Will you stop?!" Lena lets out exasperated, pushing Kara, rolling over with her and straddling her hips. She plants her hands on Kara's shoulders, pushing her down on the bed. Kara looks at Lena, a smug smile on her face as she lets Lena push her over and down.

"I was going to say "make me", but it looks like you got me cornered, Ms. Luthor." There's a slight blush on Lena's cheeks as she looks down at Kara. She leans a bit down, tucking her hair behind her ear, to then lean down 'till she's bent over Kara, their lips almost touching. Their eyes meet and grow dark. Kara leans in to kiss her and Lena moves away, just like Kara did to her. "Now, that's just low." Kara says in a low tone and Lena leans back in, kissing Kara deeply 'till she grows out of breath. Kara wraps an arm around Lena's waist and rolls them over, swiftly landing on top. She can't stop smiling, knowing this was more than enough for the rest of the night to be as sweet as ever.

Alex lies on her side, facing Kate's naked back. She looks at the pale skin with birthmarks perfectly spread across it, her red hair draping down her back - a fire river on snow. Kate looked almost otherworldly under the moonlight shining through the window. As if in a trance, Alex reaches out and her fingertips softly graze over the red mane and white skin. Kate stirs and Alex pulls her hand back timidly. Kate turns around and looks at Alex sweetly, making the latter feel something clutching inside her chest. She grabs Alex's hand and kisses her palm before pressing it against her cheek. Alex feels the need to say something but, much like Sappho, no speech was left in her. Kate blinks slowly, clearly sleepy, and slides closer to Alex, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her even closer. Alex leaves her hand on Kate's cheek and looks at her, still dumbstruck (like the useless lesbian she is). Kate kisses her, and it's a bit sloppy and maybe almost missed her mouth, but it still sends shivers down Alex's spine.

"You, Alex Danvers, are beautiful." Kate mumbles, drunk with sleep, and buries her face in Alex's neck. And Alex feels something stirring inside her bringing the sudden urge to cry. She wraps her arms tightly around Kate, who seemed so small now that she's tucked against Alex and not making her every muscle quake. Alex kisses the top of Kate's head and is given a deep, warm sigh in return, before Kate's heavy breathing lulls her to sleep.

James wakes up with a grunt, he opens his eyes slowly to see sunlight seeping through his curtain. He stretches as his headache makes itself noted. He turns around to find the other half of the bed empty but before he can make any conclusions of being alone he hears a soft whistling coming from the kitchen. James slides off the bed and into his pajama pants and walks out of his room. First he smells coffee, then eggs and bacon, and only then he sees Mon-El standing in front of the stove, cooking, looking very at home wearing nothing at all. And maybe for the first time, James isn't even slightly annoyed at seeing him. He walks over, sits on the kitchen counter as Mon bids him a good morning.

Kara rubs Lena's back softly till she feels the latter stirring and groaning.

"Morning babe."

"Morning." Lena mumbles back.

"Want some breakfast?" Lena nods and Kara kisses the top of her head before shifting off the bed. Lena curls up and pulls the blanket over herself tightly. She slightly opens her eyes to see Kara quietly walking out of her room. All seemed clear now, even in the fuzzy reality of being half asleep. And all Lena could feel was a warmth growing deep inside her, like a tiny star.


End file.
